Fate: Zero Requiem
by kyugan
Summary: In the wake of Zero Requiem, Lelouch vi Britannia was quite ready to face whatever judgement awaited him for his sins. He certainly wasn't expecting to be drafted by the embodiment of Humanity's Collective Will to take part in a free-for-all battle between Mages and Heroes of Legend, but then again, he was ALWAYS up for a challenge. Rated T to be safe.
1. Prologue: The Night a Demon Was Summoned

Hello again all you happy people!

Well, some of you were probably expecting something along these lines from me at SOME point, given my track record, and truth be told several friends of mine REALLY wanted to see this one come to life, so I figured, what the hell.

And no, before anyone asks, this was NOT inspired by The Infamous Man's own rendition of Fate/Zero. I actually considered writing this after reading Assassin's Requiem by Caphriel, with some notable differences regarding my approach to Assassin's capabilities, though I'll go more into that at a later date.

However, TIM and I HAVE discussed a few ideas together, no spoilers, and I highly recommend anyone who hasn't read 'Fate: Zero Sense' or it's sequel 'Stay Alive' (if such creatures even exist) to do so. Now.

With that said, this one's for you TIM. Keep up the good work.

* * *

Fate/Zero Requiem: An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War

_Demons Run, when a Good Man Goes to War,_

_Night Shall Rise and Drown the Sun, When a Good Man Goes to War,_

_Friendship Dies and True Love Lies,_

_Night Shall Fall and the Dark Shall Rise,_

_When a Good Man Goes to War._

When people speak about the occult, or discuss theories on dimensions beyond the scope of mortal comprehension, more often than not it refers to a 'Power' outside the world as we know it. Some called it God, some called it The Truth, and others call it the Akasha Records, the Origin of all things. No matter what title people labelled it with, it was the search for this illusory 'Root of the World' that was the dearest wish and driving force of all magi, the purpose behind their on-going refinement of the art of Thaumaturgy.

However, since the end of the 'Days of The Gods', when Phantasmal Beasts and Demigods walked the earth, Magic has slowly but steadily fallen into decline, a decline that has been advanced thanks in part to the development of Technology and the suppressive activities of The Church. As a result, to date there are only Five 'True' Magics left that defy human comprehension, and of those only One remains active, the other four having fallen into relative extinction due to the inherent nature of Magi of taking their secrets to their graves.

As a result, approximately two-hundred years ago, Three Magi Families convened in a bid to revive the Third of the True Magics: The Heaven's Feel, as a means to finally reach Akasha.

The Einzbern family, an old, respected Magus Family who held the closest ties to the Third Magic, the Makiri and the Tohsaka, one of the few families to ever produce an heir capable of surviving the tutelage of Wizard Marshal Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.

The Einzberns proposed the reproduction of the 'Holy Grail', an omnipotent container that was the subject of many traditions and could realize any wish made upon it, as a means of manifesting the Heaven's Feel. Enticed at the possibility of summoning such an omnipotent device, the three families, who would go on to become known as the 'Founding Families', offered up their secret arts in order to carry out the Ritual.

The Einzberns would provide the 'Vessel' for the Grail, which would in turn manifest within the barriers of the land owned by the Tohsaka Family, one of the few places capable of supporting a ritual on this scale in the modern age. Upon activation, the Grail would thus select seven magi, or 'Masters' who possessed the power to take it, dividing the phenomenal amount of prana within it among them, allowing them to summon Heroic Spirits called 'Servants', Legendary warriors granted powers by the Throne of Heroes through the fame they acquired in life.

However, the Magi learned far too late that despite being Omnipotent, the Holy Grail could only grant the wish of one person per Heaven's Feel. As a result, the moment this truth was realised, the bonds of cooperation that had been the lifeblood of the ritual were cast aside, the Magi turning on one another in a bloody-free for all, from which only the victor would be allowed the honour of claiming the Grail.

* * *

_Turin, Italy..._

In the room of an elegant villa built atop a small hill in the neatest district in the south of Turin, three men stood facing one another.

"The markings that have appeared on your right hand are called 'Command Seals'." One of them spoke up, his voice smooth and carrying as he addressed the other two, who wore the adornments of the Catholic Church "They are the proof that you have been chosen by the Holy Grail, and the qualifications that grants you the right to control a Servant."

The person who had spoken was Tohsaka Tokiomi, current head of the Tohsaka family, one of the three Founding Families behind the by now infamous Fuyuki Grail Wars. The other two members consisted of Father Kotomine Risei, an old 'friend' of the Tohsaka family and his son Kirei, to whom Tokiomi's words were directed.

Kirei had to admit, for a friend of his father, a pious man of the cloth who would soon reach eighty, the eccentric Tokiomi was surprisingly young, possibly little older than Kirei himself, though the feeling of composure and confidence he gave off spoke of experience Kirei had only felt from senior members of the Burial Agency.

It was unsurprising really, as even by the standards of Japanese Magi, the Tohsaka were an old, distinguished lineage. What surprised, or rather intrigued Kirei, was that the casual ease by which he'd revealed his identity as a Magus, as one would have to be a fool to so blatantly purchase property within striking distance of the Church, and especially so to declare their status before members of the Burial Division of the 'Holy Church', who followed a doctrine of exterminating the stigma of heresy, such as Mage-Craft, and burying it into oblivion.

Typically, Magi conspired and interacted only with other magi, preferring the safety of the Magus Association to avoid clashing with the enforcers of the Church. Recently both sides agreed to a 'cease-fire' of sorts in order to maintain the peace in the wake of the last World War, but even so it was a rare state of affairs where members of the Holy Church and a Magus would gather in the same building to discuss one of the most 'blasphemous' of rituals without someone losing a limb.

The Tohsaka were an exception, however, having made a point of keeping on good terms with the church, in particular the Kotomine family, a relationship that was maintained through generous donations that went both ways since before the foundation of the Grail Wars.

Risei had known Tokiomi's Grandfather and had overseen the previous Grail War, which had fallen short as was fast becoming a trend. Now, in the waning of his years, he was rather eager to see the ritual to fruition, and couldn't be happier when Kirei had come to him the previous night, revealing the surfacing pattern on the back of his hand which identified him as one of the 'Masters' chosen by the Grail, and had contacted Tokiomi immediately.

"Does the Grail have preferred people to select?" he pondered during a break in Tokiomi's explanation, not liking the way the older man was eyeing him.

"The Three Founding Families: Einzbern, Matou and Tohsaka are always included amongst the participants." Tokiomi confirmed with a nod, raising a hand to reveal a threefold ring pattern "As the current heir to the Tohsaka family, I will participate in the next battle."

Kirei said nothing, but inwardly tensed, eyeing the elder man before him warily. While he doubted his father would have agreed to the meeting if Tokiomi intend foul play, never mind the fact the man would have to be suicidal to attempt anything within spitting distance of the Church, it never paid to be careful "I'm curious about these 'Servants' you mentioned earlier." He muttered at length, eyeing the older man before him carefully "You said they were Heroic Spirits summoned and used as Familiars?"

"I know it may seem hard to believe, considering your upbringing." Tokiomi noted, sighing as if the very idea dumbfounded even HIM "Summoning Seven Warriors from amongst the ranks of Heroic Spirits that existed since the Age of the Gods into the present and pairing them with Seven Masters to battle it out in a bloody battle for supremacy." He nodded "That is very much what the Holy Grail War is."

"And you allow such a monstrosity?" Kirei demanded, addressing not only Tokiomi, but his solemn faced father, who had maintained his silence thus far "In a place where thousands of citizens live?"

It went without saying that, even BEFORE the ceasefire between the church and the Magus Association, all magi carried out their practices in secret in order to avoid drawing attention to themselves. In this modern era, where science and technology were quickly replacing Magecraft as the most prevalent force on the planet, to reveal one's existence as a magus was tantamount to suicide, even without factoring in the edicts of the Holy Church.

"Since the third Heaven's Feel an agreement has been made so that we at the Holy Church would dispatch a supervisor to keep the potential damages from the War to a minimum." Risei spoke up, startling his son "It is our duty to not only conceal all traces of the war's existence, but to ensure that the magi do so as well."

"The Church is serving as a referee in a conflict between magi?" Kirei repeated, admittedly stunned by the revelation, though naturally he hid it well.

"It is precisely because it IS a conflict between magi that we do so." Risei revealed "As it stands, there is no one in the Magi's Association qualified to act an impartial referee due to the political implications. There simply wasn't any way other than having recourse to an external authority such as the Church." He nodded solemnly "In addition, as I'm sure you're aware we of the Holy Church cannot turn a blind eye to a ritual involving a so called 'Holy Grail' though to tell the truth, we've had conclusive evidence that the Fuyuki Grail differs from the holy relic for some time now."

That certainly explained why the Grail Wars had been allowed to continue unopposed for so long. Normally the church would not have remained idle when faced with such a treasure, and Kirei had little doubt that, Master or not, he would've been deployed to Fuyuki along with several other members of the Assembly of the 8th Sacrament to plunder the Grail out of the hands of the magi, cease fire be damned.

"Still it's not as if we can simply ignore an omnipotent wish-granting device." Risei admitted with a troubled frown "Who knows what disaster could be wrought if it were to fall into the wrong hands?"

"Thus, it is best that we ensure that at the very least the Grail falls into the 'right' hands as a plan B." Tokiomi interposed, and Kirei had no doubt in his mind as to whose hands the Tohsaka head was talking about.

"While the Tohsaka are indeed Magi, they have a long history of friendship with the Church." Risei continued, confirming his son's suspicions "I can also vouch for Tokiomi-kun's character, and moreover, his intentions for the Grail are clear."

"To reach Akasha is the sole desire of the Tohsaka family." Tokiomi verified, as if Kirei hadn't guessed that already "Sadly, the Einzbern and Matou have both forgotten the wish we once shared."

"So I'll be participating in the upcoming Holy Grail War to ensure Tohsaka Tokiomi's victory, then." Kirei deduced, earning a nod from his father and a smile from Tokiomi.

"Of course, on the surface, we will act as enemies fighting over the Grail." The Tohsaka head elaborated, as if Kirei hadn't been able to figure it out on his own "But beneath the surface, we will join forces to defeat the remaining five Masters, and attain certain victory." He smiled as Risei nodded austerely "Kirei-kun, you will be transferred from the Holy Church to the Magus Association, where you will become my apprentice."

"The official orders have already been issued." Risei confirmed, taking out a letter of notification that bore the joint signatures of both the Holy Church and the Magus Association, addressed to his only son.

"You will go to Japan and study magic." Tokiomi continued confidently "There, you will become a Magus strong enough to summon a servant to fight in the Grail War three years from now." He smiled at Kirei "So, do you have other questions?"

"Just one of note;" Kirei admitted, turning to look Tokiomi in the eye for the first time "What exactly is the Grail's will in selecting the Masters?"

Tokiomi blinked, his brow furrowing, the Tohsaka head having not anticipated such a question, and Kirei had to admit he felt a small burst of accomplishment for wiping the smug smile off the man's face. The moment was short lived, however, as Tokiomi soon regained his composure, "The Grail prefers to choose Masters that need it the most." He admitted, smiling calmly at Kirei, who twitched at how close that struck to home.

"Does that mean that all the Masters selected have a reason for coveting the Grail?" the younger Kotomine demanded, trying to keep his voice level, only managing it with the years of practice he'd accumulated as a member of the 8th Sacrament.

"Not necessarily." Tokiomi countered, his tone dismissive "There have been cases in the past where Command Spells have appeared on people you wouldn't expect to be chosen." He glanced at Kirei with a smile "I see. Kirei-kun, are you still baffled that YOU, of all people, were chosen?" he continued at Kirei's nod "Admittedly it is surprising, considering your only link to the Grail would be through your father in his role as Overseer." He smiled confidently "No, perhaps it would be better to say that is the very reason you were selected. Perhaps the Grail anticipated that the Holy Church would support the Tohsaka family. In other words, the Grail is giving me two shares of command Seals, and for that, it chose you as a Master." He smiled arrogantly at the younger Kotomine "Does this explanation satisfy you?"

It didn't, but Kirei wasn't the sort to voice his opinions on something unless it involved carrying out the doctrine of the Church, in which case he was more than happy to get his 'point' across. Still, from what little he'd managed to gather of the arrogant Tohsaka Head's personality, it was clear to him that he wasn't likely to get a more satisfying answer out of the man for the time being, and so opted to put it on hold in favour of demanding to know when they were to leave so he could make preparations.

"I have a small task to take care of at the Clock Tower that requires me to stop over in Great Britain first." Tokiomi revealed "You will be travelling onto Japan ahead of me, I have already informed my family and they are waiting for you."

"Understood." Kirei acknowledged, wondering precisely what kind of welcome he, a former member of the Executors, was likely to receive in the home of a Magus, nodding in passing at his father before taking his leave, stepping out of the villa and making his way slowly down the winding hilltop path, the wind of the Mediterranean sea rustling his hair as he idly rubbed the back of his hand, the Command Spells shining red as blood in the light.

* * *

_Britannian Capital, Pendragon..._

He gasped slightly as he felt the blade enter his chest, slumping against his killer as the strength left his limbs, unable to help but smile as he envisioned the looks of shock on the faces of the watching crowd, who had fallen silent at this latest turn of events.

'Funny…' he mused, a wan smile adorning his features as he brought his hand up to touch the spreading bloodstain on his robes 'I thought it would've hurt more…'

"Lelouch…" Suzaku grunted, and despite everything they'd been through, done to one another, Lelouch couldn't help but feel touched at how his impending death distressed his best friend turned killer.

"Your punishment shall be thus…" he vowed, smiling as he reached one bloody hand up to cup the helmet that adorned his friend's face "You will live on…always wearing that mask, serving as a knight for justice and truth…you shall sacrifice the ordinary pleasures of your life for the benefit of the world…for eternity."

"This Geass…" Suzaku grit out, the hatred the masked man bore for the word meshing with his distress at the deeds he had just and was yet to perform "I do solemnly accept."

With that said he stepped back, Lelouch letting out a gasp as the blade exited his ruined torso with a sickening noise, the white-clad man staggering forward once, twice, before falling to his knees, tumbling down the slope of his transport, leaving a bloody trail in his wake as he slid down on his back, coming to a halt next to the distressed form of his sister, who reached hesitantly for his bloodied hand with her own.

"Lelouch?" she called out, almost hesitantly, as unable to believe what was happening before her, her violet eyes, which they had both inherited from their father, widening the moment she took his hand in hers "No…you mean everything you did until now…"

'Oh Nunnally…' he marvelled, wishing he could turn his head to gaze upon his beloved sibling one last time, only for his dying body spitefully deny this last request 'You always were sharper than people gave you credit for…myself included.'

"Oh Big brother…" the distraught girl whimpered, holding his hand, the hand that bore the blood of friend and foe alike, up to her face in distress "I love you!"

Those words, those five simple words, carried with them a greater power than if God himself had spoken them. Rallying his waning strength, Lelouch forced his lips to part, a smile adorning them as he gazed blindly up at the peerless blue sky, and at the ever growing light that bore the faces of everyone he'd ever met.

"Yes..." he breathed, accepting his fate, and the damnation that was sure to follow, with all the composure of a man who died fulfilled "I…destroyed the world…and remade it…anew."

And with that, Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, passed away beneath the shining sun of his homeland, the light of which grew steadily bright and brighter as he felt the weight of his discarded body fall behind.

'So this is what happens when one joins the will of C?' he mused, honestly surprised that he could still create, or recognise, cognitive thought, though he supposed he'd have plenty to think about for the rest of eternity, more than likely regarding the countless sins he'd tallied against himself in life.

'I have no regrets.' He declared, and he meant it, for with Nunnally's last act of forgiveness, he could pass on to the whatever awaited him with a clear heart. Be it Heaven or Hell, if such places even existed, he did not care, what mattered was that the world he left behind was a world far better than the one he'd been born into.

"It certainly is." A voice noted, a familiar voice, Lelouch's eyes snapping open, prompting the late emperor to freeze, wondering if someone had actually gotten him medical attention before he could die, only to blink as he found himself standing before the spirally pillar of souls that made up the collective consciousness of mankind.

"What…the hell?" he wondered, blinking in confusion, looking down at his hands to find that yes, he was still dressed in his blood-stained emperor robes, though it appeared the wound that had shunted him off the mortal coil had decided not to tag along "What is this?"

"Surprised?" a voice called out, Lelouch freezing at the sound, his head whipping round to find himself face to face with a woman he'd never expected to see again "I don't blame you, most people are in your circumstances."

"Euphie…?" he breathed, gazing at the pink haired apparition before him in disbelief, for indeed, standing before him was none other than Euphemia li Britannia, his half-sister who had always held a special place in his heart, the self-same sister he'd been forced to gun down after unintentionally using his Geass to force her to carry out a massacre.

"Not exactly," Euphie offered, smiling consolingly at the late emperor "Though for all intents and purposes you could say I AM." She smiled at him teasingly "I guess the saying's true, you never really forget your first love."

"Who are you?" Lelouch demanded, his shock vanishing, replaced with suspicion and slowly mounting ANGER as he glared at the…THING that wore Euphie's face "Why do you look like Euphie?"

"Honestly Lelouch." The Euphie simulacrum huffed, her breasts bouncing perkily as she placed her hands on her hips, the action so eerily reminiscent of Euphie that Lelouch felt his heart clench despite himself "For someone so smart you really are slow on the uptake." She spread her arms wide with a smile "Look around you? Who else could I possibly be?"

Lelouch frowned, violet eyes narrowing as he glared at the being before him. Whoever, WHATEVER it was, it had done a DAMN good job of recreating Euphemia's form, voice and mannerisms. Everything from her brief lecture, the way she stood with her arms outstretched, that expectant smile on her face as she waited for him to figure out her identity, was exactly how Euphemia would have acted given the chance. The only difference was the eyes, for while the colour was right, they were lacklustre, like the eyes of a doll, devoid of the fire, compassion and indomitable spirit that was an inherent part of Euphemia's very being, or indeed any human emotion at all, which made the smile that adorned its face all the more terrifying to behold.

"Stop using Euphie's face." he growled, pointedly avoiding looking the abomination in the eyes "I don't care if you ARE the collective will of Mankind, if you don't stop using Euphie's face I'll finish what my parents started!"

"Oh well done!" another voice applauded, Lelouch tensing as he turned to find Euphemia's form replaced with that of Mao, the telepath clapping his hands in mock approval, his eyes thankfully hidden behind his sunglasses "As always, your amazing intellect shines through, Lelouch."

"It wasn't that hard to figure out." Lelouch deduced, his tone calm, betraying none of his ire as he gazed upon the simulacra of his predecessor "You didn't respond to my orders to identify yourself, which means you're immune to my Geass. Since only Code Bearers and those I've used my Geass on can claim that, and given where we are and your own words, what else could you be?"

"Clever boy…" 'Mao' applauded, the man's mocking tone sending shivers of disgust down the former Emperor's spine "Indeed, I am what you would call the collective will of Mankind. Since that's a bit of a mouthful, however, you can call me Alaya."

"Well then, Alaya or whatever you are…" Lelouch muttered, eyeing the entity before him with barely concealed intrigue "What can I do for you?"

"Now there's a question…" Alaya-Mao mused, cupping his chin in that childish manner Mao was so fond of doing when he'd been alive "What could I possibly want from the dreaded Devil Emperor Lelouch? The Man who saved the world but will never be thanked for it?"

"I was never in it for the praise." Lelouch countered, his tone clipped "All I cared for was to make the world a better place for Nunnally. If being hated for all eternity is what it took, then so be it."

"So dramatic." Alaya-Mao scoffed, Lelouch's brow twitching as he found himself face to face with Clovis, the first of his siblings to be killed in his Rebellion "Do you honestly believe that?"

"The whole point of Zero Requiem was to unite the world in hatred and fear of the 'Demon Emperor'." Lelouch countered, eyes narrowing "By bearing the worlds hatred I gave them something to resent, something worth working together to ensure it never comes back."

"And you honestly believe that'll be the end of it?" Alaya-Clovis demanded, shaking his head in mocking derision "You underestimate the nature of human beings, Lelouch."

"Maybe, but none of that matters to me anymore." Lelouch admitted solemnly "In the end, I was able to create a world where people like Nunnally could live in peace. I have no regrets."

"A good answer." Alaya noted, and were he not confident that he was already dead, Lelouch could've sworn that his heart skipped a beat at the sound of Shirley's voice, the Emperor glaring at the simulacra as it's dead eyes gazed out of the girl's face above an encouraging smile "Hold onto those beliefs, you'll need them where you're going."

* * *

_Lelouch's POV..._

Lelouch opened his mouth, intending to berate the entity for assuming Shirley's form, only to stumble at the feel of a tugging sensation from his navel, his eyes coming up once more to land on the girl's face before he was falling backwards into the light, his eyes snapping shut out of fear of being blinded, only to blink at the feeling of solid floor beneath his feet once again, his eyes widening as he found himself gazing out at the world through the visor of his Zero Mask.

'Is this…a dream?' he wondered, gazing down at his hands to find himself dressed once more in the garb of Zero, his violet eyes widening in amazement as centuries' worth of information proceeded to download itself into his brain.

An alternate timeline? A world where Sakuradite was never discovered? Where the Britannian Empire was never formed? A world where Sorcery existed, and Magi summoned Heroes from the age of legends to waged a secret war over control of an Omnipotent Wish Granting device?

A war, it seemed, which he was meant to participate in.

'Incredible…' he marvelled, mind reeling with the possibilities of his situation as the surge of information continued, revealing not only the laws and ordinances of the ritual into which he had been summoned 'The problem now is how to best plan my approach.'

It seemed he'd been summoned into the Assassin Class, and truth be told he doubted he'd be able to fulfil the perquisites for any of the others with the exception of Rider.

'Suzaku or Jeremiah would have made Saber rank for certain.' He mused, only to blink as he noticed the man standing before him, dressed in the vestments of a Catholic Priest despite the prana flow which connected them together.

"How interesting…" he mused "A priest knowledgeable in the ways of Magecraft?" He chuckled, unable to help the smirk that adorned his features as he eyed the stunned priest "It looks like I got a rather interesting Master."

* * *

So yeah, as I said before, Code Geass meets Fate/Zero.

Again, I stress the fact that, while it is certainly Lelouch's BRAIN in control, he was summoned as 'Zero' not Lelouch'. If he had, he'd have been summoned as the Demon Emperor that Conquered the World, complete with White Imperial Regalia and an Agility ranking of -Z.

And yes, that was a teaser for a possible Omake chapter. Two actually. Keep an eye out for them.

Sadly, I don't intend to reveal any of his Noble Phantasms JUST yet. Suffice to say that 'THIS' Assassin isn't so limited as the one from Assassin's Requiem. And Yes, Emperor Lelouch has a different set of NP's to Zero, which will be explained in any Omakes that turn up.

So yeah, expect the first ACTUAL chapter up soon.


	2. Chapter 1: Best Laid Plans

Wow, guess people were looking forward to this one more than I thought.

So yeah, here's chapter one, let's see how Zero Assassin (Assassin Zero? Assazero? Zerassin?) hell with it, let's see how Lulu turns this Grail War on it's head.

And yes, for those who ask the Pairings in this were not mentioned for reasons. Even the 'Character' tabs were selected to avoid giving plot elements away.

Lelouch: Who could you pair me with anyway? the only women in Zero are either too young or spoken for.

C.C: Who says the pairings had to be hetero?

Kyugan: Not while I draw breath Witch.

C.C: Spoilsport.

* * *

Fate/Zero Requiem: An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War

**First Night: Best Laid Plans.**

Towering in Miyamachou of Fuyuki City is the Tohsaka mansion, the two-story western-styled building serving as the ancestral home of the clan of magi who were, in truth, the true owners of the land.

It was in the cellars of the mansion that Tokiomi kept his workshop, and where the Tohsaka head was currently standing, his blue eyes locked on the experimental device before him, which bore a notable similarity to the vaunted 'Black pendulum', the key difference being that THIS pendulum's weight was in fact one of the many heirloom jewels of the Tohsaka line, constructed so that the ink flowing down the string flowed as it scrawled the latest report from Tokiomi's spy in the Clock Tower onto the sheet of vellum parchment beneath it.

Naturally it would've been far more efficient, and decidedly more cost effective, if he'd simply bought a fax machine, or even a telephone. That being said, no Magus of Tokiomi's standing would ever permit himself to take the easy way out, especially if said way meant resorting to the vulgar 'Technology' of the so called 'Modern' World.

"That device still strikes me as unseemly to this day." Kirei opined, Tokiomi's not-so-secret apprentice stepping into the light, a disapproving frown on his face as he eyed the apparatus as if it insulted him personally.

"You think so?" Tokiomi mused, his tone making it clear he considered his apprentice's opinion to be laughable "I think it's far more reliable than that 'Fax Machine' your father uses, for one thing there's no worry of the power running out, nor is there any chance of the report being intercepted." He smiled as the pendulum came to a stop "Truly, we magi have no need for the inferior tools of this age."

Kirei said nothing, though internally he rolled his eyes at his would-be-master's arrogance. Unlike the Magus Society, the Holy Church had adapted well to the age of technology, using it to bridge the already diminishing gap between them and the Magi. With the arrival of the internet, it was now possible to keep tabs on known 'troublemakers' from across continents without having to rely on field agents.

"It would appear that Lord El-Melloi has acquired another relic." Tokiomi revealed with an amused smirk, no doubt recalling the prior report on the 'Prodigal' Archibald heir's reaction to losing his original relic "His participation is certain now."

"It troubles me that two spaces are still unaccounted for." Kirei opined, his expression grim as he regarded his smiling master, who as always looked as if everything was dancing to his tune.

"There's no need to worry." Tokiomi assured him "When the time comes the Grail will simply fill the remaining slots with random individuals regardless of skill. People chosen in such a manner pose no threat."

"You'd be wise not to underestimate random factors." A smooth voice opined, Kirei grimacing as his servant, Assassin, manifested next to him, his hands hidden beneath his mantle "After all, even a pawn can dethrone the king if he doesn't see it coming."

Kirei honestly didn't know how to act around his Servant. On the one hand, as a former member of the Holy Church, his very existence was an abomination against the natural order of the world. As a Magus, however, he had to admit he found the masked killer fascinating, and not only because it was clear he WASN'T an incarnation of the infamous Hassan il-Sabbah, whose very NAME assured them a permanent place amongst the roster of Servants.

"An interesting analogy, Assassin." Tokiomi applauded, though it was clear from his tone that he wasn't taking the masked Servant seriously "I trust nobody followed Kirei here?"

"If they did, they didn't have any discernible Prana signature that would identify them as a threat." Assassin assured the man, his tone dismissive "Your daughter seemed quite vexed at his return, however."

"Ah, yes." Tokiomi noted, smiling even as Kirei flinched imperceptibly at the mention of Tokiomi's eldest daughter and heir, who was also the younger Kotomine's fellow apprentice under her father's tutelage "She has taken a shine to you, hasn't she?"

'If by 'shine' you mean almost paranoid dislike…' Kirei muttered to himself, recalling the many, MANY times the child had called him out or berated him for some perceived flaw. His attempts to soothe her temper would usually result in her getting even MORE fired up, so in the end he'd simply taken a page from the good book and ignored her when she got too much to handle, which seemed to work well enough.

"In any case, my father would know instantly if another Servant had been summoned." He reminded his master "According to him, so far Assassin is the only Servant to have been summoned, so it's safe to assume the other Masters won't be making a move as of yet."

"It is only a matter of time before they do, however." Tokiomi reminded him, his features calm despite the ominous words "After all, it's public knowledge that the founding families are always included amongst the roster. Compared to that, foreign magi have a distinct advantage, as they don't have a fixed power-base."

"Perhaps." Assassin agreed, inclining his head "Though it is also true that they aren't as familiar with the terrain as the founding families, and will doubtless need time to set up a camp of their own, time we can use to fortify our own positions."

"Well said, Assassin." Tokiomi noted, and for once Kirei noted the approval in the magus' tone wasn't entirely mocking "I must say, Kirei, when you first summoned him three years back I had my suspicions, but it would seem your Servant is nothing if not dedicated to his task."

"So it would seem." Kirei agreed, inclining his head towards his Servant "You may leave, Assassin, resume watch of the surrounding area."

* * *

_Assassin's POV... _

"As you wish." Assassin offered, giving his Master and Tokiomi a bow which was only slightly mocking as he reverted to Astral Form, seemingly vanishing without a trace to carry out his orders, though in truth, he simply stepped back into the shadows to listen in on the rest of the conversation.

He'd already been briefed on his and Kirei's roles for this Grail war: Support for Tokiomi and whatever Servant he summoned. With his 'Presence Concealment' skill it would be simplicity itself spy on the other Masters, determining their battle plans whilst attempting to uncover as much information as possible on the identity of their Servants.

As of yet, Tokiomi hadn't summoned his own Servant, no doubt wanting to wait until the 'cards' available had been reduced to the three Knight classes to increases the chances of summoning his desired Epic Hero, though considering the look on his face as he read the report on the Einzbern Master, that could change very soon.

"Emiya Kiritsugu…" Kirei muttered, Assassin quirking a brow at the sight of the frown that adorned his Master's normally composed features "I've heard that name before…Emiya the Magus Killer."

"So even the Holy Church has heard of him?" Tokiomi noted, smiling grimly "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, he was quite notorious back in his day. On the surface he was nothing more than a heretic with no ties to the Magus Association, but the truth was the Higher-Ups found him decidedly useful for dealing with certain 'delicate matters'."

'So he's some sort of Freelance Assassin…' Assassin mused, a coy smirk adorning his features as he recognised the irony of that statement, though it soon faded as Kirei read off the list of 'atrocities' the Magus Killer had accumulated in his time 'A DANGEROUS one…definitely not someone to underestimate.'

While Assassin's hands were hardly free of innocent blood, he at the very least had made an effort in life to avoid involving civilians in his war against Britannia. Admittedly he hadn't always succeeded, the incident with Shirley's father and the FLEIJA disaster being prime examples, but those had been accidents, whereas Emiya Kiritsugu had PURPOSEFULLY committed these atrocities.

'Definitely a man worth watching…' he muttered, his expression unreadable as Tokiomi left the workshop, leaving Kirei to continue reading up on the Magus Killer, the normally taciturn ex-Executor seeming unusually focussed in his task.

One thing Assassin had noticed early on about his Master was that as a human being Kotomine Kirei was incomplete. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something inherently missing from the Executor turned magus, something that allowed even the humblest of men to take pride in their achievements.

It was this very 'emptiness' that had driven the younger Kotomine to throw himself into his training as an Executor, soaking up the teaching of various disciplines of the Holy Church. It also allowed him to make the transition from veteran Executor to Magus Apprentice with such ease, something that normally would've been impossible considering the indoctrination of the Church in regards to Magecraft, Tokiomi even going so far to comment that the younger Kotomine's desire for knowledge made him better suited to be a Magus than a priest.

Despite this, Kirei took no joy in his studies. As easily as he soaked up information, as many praises Tokiomi laid against his name, in the end even the arcane world of Thaumaturgy failed to give Kirei the answers he was looking for. If anything it simply left him wanting more.

'He's so much like Rolo it hurts to watch…' he muttered, flinching at the memory of his watchdog turned adoptive sibling. A part of him still felt grief for manipulating the naive assassin as he had, despite all the trouble he'd put him through. In the end, Rolo had simply been a child looking for someone to believe in, and Lelouch had taken advantage of that for his own agenda.

"A dangerous man indeed." He spoke aloud, fading back into view, Kirei tensing slightly at the sound of his voice, no doubt not expecting him to disobey his orders "A trained killer knowledgeable of the rules other Magi trap themselves within, and more than capable of using said chains to bring them down."

"You sound like you approve." Kirei noted, his features betraying no emotion past their initial surprise at his Servants materialization, as per the norm "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised if you did, given your speciality."

"Certainly, his skills as an assassin would make him more than worthy of assuming the role in a future Grail War." Assassin confirmed with a nod "That being said, I believe it best we prioritize him above the other Masters."

"You consider him that much of a threat?" Kirei queried, quirking a brow as he said it, no doubt intrigued by his Servant's unusually proactive stance.

"The man's a cold blooded killer willing to sacrifice innocents provided he takes down his target." Assassin pointed out, Kirei's brows rising at the disapproval in the Servant's tone "Given the secret nature of this war already dictates that witnesses be executed, having someone like that running around would prove detrimental to our own plans in the long run."

"That is certainly true…" Kirei agreed, his brows furrowing at the reminder of the Magus Killer's apparent disregard for civilian casualties "The man seems to have little value for human life, in particular his own."

Assassin quirked a brow, taking the sheet of vellum from his Master, grateful for whatever Magics the Grail used that allowed him to read the runic script that detailed the Magus Killer's career, his brows furrowing after the first few lines. "It seems to me the man has a death wish." He muttered, noting several instances which would've required the man to be in several places at once "It's a miracle he hasn't burnt himself out already."

'Not unlike Suzaku…' he mused, recalling the sheer idiotic lengths his friend would go to achieve his goals, never thinking or caring of how he was putting his own life at risk provided he attained his goal. 'In which case, what is it that drives Emiya Kiritsugu?'

At least now he could understand his Master's unusual interest in the man. As someone who didn't know what it is he was looking for, someone like Kiritsugu, who was willing to put his life on the line for his goals, was Kirei's polar opposite.

'And as they say, opposites attract.' He mused, only to pause, reverting to Astral form once more as he sensed Tokiomi's return, the Tohsaka head having come to alert his apprentice that his catalyst had arrived, and that they were to summon his servant later that evening 'We'll just have to see how this turns out.'

* * *

_**-172:38:15**_

Kirei stood atop a hill overlooking Fuyuki city, the Executor turned Magus taking in the lights of the city that had been his home for the last three years, the home that would soon be turned into a battlefield between heroes of legend.

Word had reached his father, Risei, that Caster, the last Servant unaccounted for, had been summoned not too long ago. The Master had yet to introduce himself to the Church, which meant that some hapless civilian or sub-par magus was probably entertaining an epic hero, neither prospect of which mattered at the moment.

Following Tokiomi's summoning of his own servant, Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes manifesting as a member of the Archer class to his Master's exasperation, Kirei had taken his leave of the Tohsaka manor, officially leaving Tokiomi's tutelage, and by proxy his 'protection', on good terms in order to make his own preparations for the Grail War.

In truth, all of Kirei's preparations had been made well over three years prior. There was no need for him to set up a new base of operations as after tonight he would be 'sequestered' at the church, safe from any attempts on his life and in turn incapable of posing a risk to the other Masters.

It was almost disappointing really. While he had no true interest in the Grail itself, what good was an omnipotent wish granting device to someone with no knowledge of what they desired, he had been rather looking forward to seeing the clash of legends in this era, not to mention his desire to face off against Emiya Kiritsugu.

"A spectacular view." Assassin opined, the Masked Servant materializing behind his master as he was wont to do "It never ceases to amaze me how peaceful this world truly is…"

"It won't be peaceful for much longer." Kirei admitted without turning his head, his eyes regarding the city below with grim solemnity "I've received word from my father: Caster was summoned not too long ago."

"Certainly took them long enough…" Assassin mused, his tone slightly mocking as he stepped forward to stand beside his Master on the ledge "Still, better late than never I suppose."

"Indeed." Kirei muttered, suppressing the small smile that attempted to grace his features at the servant's attempt at levity. He had to admit, he was going to miss the masked man's wit "You are to head immediately to the Tohsaka household." He instructed, his eyes never leaving the city even as Assassin turned to face him "The house's bounded fields should pose no obstacle to you."

"Now that's a surprise." The masked Servant noted, intrigue lining his voice as he inclined his head towards his Master, Kirei's features reflecting off the black helmet that adorned the servant's head "I know it's for the sake of appearances, but aren't you and Tokiomi allies?"

"Don't worry about that." Kirei countered, tone level and composed, his features betraying not one whit of emotion "Even if you end up having to fight Archer, there is no need to fear."

"No need to fear Gilgamesh of Uruk; Ancient Babylon's King of Heroes?" Assassin queried, Kirei's eyes widening in shock, as he'd never revealed Tokiomi's Servant's identity "You overestimate me, Master. Even if my Presence Concealment makes it almost impossible for other Servant's to locate me in astral form, Tokiomi is not so foolish as to allow his Servant to stray too far from his side, and killing him would most certainly bring the King's wrath down on me." He chuckled at Kirei's dumbfounded expression "Besides, there is no need to follow Tokiomi's objective any further."

"What do you mean?" Kirei demanded, his brows furrowing as he slowly regained his composure, eyeing his enigmatic Servant warily, bracing himself to use a Command Seal if necessary.

"Your initial plan was to have Archer eliminate me in plain view of the familiars, thus eliminating you as a threat." Assassin revealed, Kirei blinking at the lack of anger or accusation in the Servant's tone "A valid strategy given Tokiomi's game plan." He held up a finger "However, no self-respecting member of the Assassin class would do so unless their target was in sight. While your average magus probably wouldn't notice, someone as sharp as Emiya Kiritsugu certainly would."

Kirei blinked, listening in with rapt attention as his servant casually pointed out the flaws in Tokiomi's battle plan, flaws that were so brutally obvious that it was only his commitment to the mission that had kept the former Executor from pointing them out himself.

"In short, while Tokiomi is certainly a first-class Magus, as a tactician he's decidedly third-rate." Assassin concluded, his tone dismissive "As much as he denounces Emiya Kiritsugu's disregard for the rules that govern Magi, his own strict adherence to those very rules makes him, and Lord El Melloi by extension, inflexible and easy to predict."

"It matters not." Kirei muttered, his tone dismissive despite his agreeing with every one of his enigmatic Servant's words "I am to support Tohsaka Tokiomi. That is my sole purpose in the Grail War."

"Is it really?" Assassin queried, his tone all-knowing as he regarded his master "What do you gain if Tokiomi receives the Grail? What will you do AFTERWARDS, when he uses it to reach Akasha? Will your questions be answered? Will you finally find what you've been looking for since your wife died?"

Kirei stiffened, his lips tightening at the mention of his late wife, not even wondering how his Servant had learned of her, seeing as he himself had been having flashes of the masked man's own past from time to time. Admittedly, the visions confused him, as at first it appeared the servant hailed from present day japan, though Kirei couldn't recall a Japanese Prime Minister by the name of Kururugi ever being elected, though such thoughts soon took a back seat when the giant robots had shown up.

Yes, Giant Robots, like something out of an Anime or Video Game, the priest looking on in horrified wonderment as the giants of steel descended on his homeland like angels of death, driving the people back, suppressing them, CONQUERING them in a brutal reversal of the events of the 2nd world war.

Kirei had never mentioned these flashes to Tokiomi, and in truth he doubted the Tohsaka head would've cared to know the identity of their sacrificial pawn, but as grim and despairing as Kirei found them, he had to admit he was intrigued by them, wishing to see how his Servant had managed to survive against such staggering odds.

"…What do you propose we do then?" Kirei queried, his interest peaked, though by no means did he drop his guard, ready to deploy a command seal in the event his Servant tried anything untoward "The whole plan hinges on our backing up Tokiomi and Gilgamesh."

"Tokiomi's plan perhaps." Assassin corrected, his tone dismissive, and indeed Kirei detected a hint of mockery as he raised a hand from beneath his cloak, revealing a strange device in the shape of a chess piece "Rest assured, Master, that my own plans aren't as limited."

* * *

_Tohsaka manor, night... _

The moon shone full over the Tohsaka mansion, the lush gardens that were the joy of Tokiomi's wife bathing in the moonlight, the tall grass and flower petals shining a pale blue, a stark contrast to the darkness of the mansion itself, which towered over them like some ominous mountain range. To see it from above, one would assume that the Mansion lacked any form of natural defence beyond the walls that encircled it, and in truth, there WERE no security systems in place, or indeed anything more technologically advanced than the gas feed that heated the water.

However, no self-respecting magus would leave their home and workshop unprotected, and Tokiomi, being the genius he was, had spared no expense to ensure that the bounded field that covered his home was the best it could be, designed to alert him to the presence of unwanted guests and deal with them in a decidedly unpleasant manner whilst simultaneously cutting off all sound from within.

A full scale war could be waged within the boundaries of Tokiomi's territory, and none of the surrounding Mundanes would ever know a thing even if they were leaning against the boundary walls.

Of course, as effective as the barrier was, that didn't mean it was IMPREGNABLE. For all his skills as a Magus, Tokiomi was only human, and perfection was not something a human being could attain due to their inherent flaws. In Tokiomi's case, the flaw was tied to his Magecraft itself, as the barrier was powered by five strategically placed rubies disguised as garden plinths, each 'programmed' to fulfil a different role in securing their creator's house.

And that was only the BEGINNING of Tokiomi's defences, for as the moon rose ever higher in the night sky its light slowly reflected off the golden armour of the figure standing before the wall-window of Tokiomi's study.

"The worm is late." the golden figure muttered, his lips curling in distaste as he regarded Tokiomi with one crimson eye, his regal features lined with displeasure. And why shouldn't he be displeased? After all, why should he, Gilgamesh, the first King, Ruler of Ancient Babylon and the unopposed King of Heroes, be forced to sully his treasures on a worm like Assassin?

Admittedly, he was forced to admit that his summoner, for he would never deign to address Tokiomi as anything more, had a very solid plan. By eliminating Assassin out in the open like this, not only would they limit the amount of opposition, but it would give the other mongrels a taste of what was to come, perhaps convincing the less suicidal of them to forgo their rights as masters in favour of the church's protection.

Not that Gilgamesh gave a toss about the so called 'Sanctuary rule'. If the Golden Archer deemed it necessary he could wipe Fuyuki off the map with the smallest wave of his hand, WITHOUT having to draw his treasured Noble Phantasm, so any Master that had the misfortune of drawing attention to themselves were as good as dead no matter where they ran.

And the same went for the other 'Servants', whom he had to admit he was almost looking forward to locking swords with, if only to drive home the fact that for all their power it was only thanks to HIS purloined treasures that many of them derived any form of praise from the plebeians of this world.

As the minutes slowly dragged on, however, the King of Heroes had to admit he was going to take particular pleasure in finishing off Assassin. He hadn't seen much of the Masked Servant, as was only natural, for Assassins were only capable of lurking in the shadows cast by greater heroes, but even then something about him just irked the King of Heroes, his tardiness to his own execution serving as the most obvious.

"How DARE he keep a King waiting like this?" he muttered, crimson eyes narrowing as he glared at the garden's below, where the Key-Stone that powered the Bounded Field was prominently displayed atop a plinth "I trust you understand there will be repercussions for wasting my time like this, Tokiomi."

"My sincerest apologies, Oh Great King of Heroes." Tokiomi offered, the Tohsaka head supressing the urge to grimace as he bowed his head towards his proud Servant "Assassin is a cautious Servant by nature, he will not rush blindly into battle for fear of your response."

"As well he should." Gilgamesh agreed, the Golden Archer's temper mollified somewhat by his summoner's words, though only JUST "Nevertheless, should you trouble me with trifles like this again, Tokiomi, it shall be YOU who feels the King's anger."

"But of course, my lord." Tokiomi acknowledged, though internally he had to fight the urge to grimace. While Gilgamesh was undoubtedly one of the most powerful Servants ever to be summoned, the King of Heroes didn't seem to grasp precisely WHO was the Master here. To make matters worse, he'd been summoned as an Archer, rather than the desired Saber class, and so possessed the Independent Action skill, and a particularly high level at that, which meant he really had no NEED to keep Tokiomi alive save for his amusement.

'I shall need to ration my use of the Command Spells carefully.' He muttered, knowing better than to glance at the marks that adorned the back of his hand, lest he tip Gilgamesh off and incite the King's ire, only to stagger as an explosion tore through the air. "What the devil?" he swore, stumbling towards the window as more explosions went off, his calm facade vanishing as one by one the back-up gems that powered his bounded field exploded, leaving good-sized craters in his garden "Damn it all! What the Devil is Assassin thinking?"

"Hoh? So the worm has a bit of bite to him?" Gilgamesh mused, the Golden Archer sounding honestly impressed with the other Servant's daring "Perhaps I will grant him a swift death after all…"

"See that you do…" Tokiomi muttered, momentarily forgetting himself in his ire, the Tohsaka's eyes widening as his Servant's crimson eyes turned on him like a viper, opening his mouth to offer a hurried apology only to be cut off by another series of explosions, this time from WITHIN the house itself, his eyes widening in horror as he felt his connection to his stockpile of magical gems vanish mere seconds before the world went white.

* * *

And I'll just leave off there.

So yeah, Tokiomi and Gilgamesh. Dead. In the First Chapter.

How many of you who WEREN'T on the planning team were expecting that?

For those of you wondering how an explosion could kill a Servant, let alone a Knight Class, and GILGAMESH for that matter, I'll leave that to the next chapter to fill in. You'll have to make do with Assassin's Stats...those I've decided to leak anyways.

Class: Assassin

Master: Kotomine Kirei

True Name: Zero/Lelouch vi Britannia

Sex: Male

Height/Weight: 178cm/?kg

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Strength: C

Endurance: D

Agility: B

Mana: B

Luck: C

Noble Phantasm: ?

**Class Skills:**

**Presence Concealment:** (The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant.) C.

**Independent Action:** D: Capable of remaining in this world for less than a day without a established contract.

**Personal Skills:**

**Bravery:** (The ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination.) B.

**Charisma:** B: Suitable for a king of a country.

**Discernment of the Poor:** B: He will not be deceived by excuses and deceptions from words easily.

**Disengage: **(The ability to break away from combat.) D

**Expert of Many Specializations:** A: Possesses a variety of different skills, ranging from tactics, academia, espionage, assassination, swindling, rhetoric and others which can be used with proficiency of Rank B or above. (Applies to one of his NPs)

**Eye of the Mind (True):** B: Capable of calmly analyzing battle conditions even when in danger and deduce an appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to escape from a predicament. So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

**Instinct:** B: Refined sixth sense honed by observing many battles.

**Military Tactics: **A+: An unrivaled military genius, capable of turning the tide of almost any battle.

**Mystic Eyes:** Possession of Mystic Eyes capable of interfering with the outside world. EX.

**Pioneer of the Stars:** This unique Skill is given to heroes that became turning points in the human history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' turn into 'events that can be realized'. EX:

**Riding: **A: All creatures but those of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast-rank can be used as mounts. This rank is high enough to have aptitude for the Rider Class.

**Subversive Activities:** A+: It is possible to disable nearly 80% of the total military force before the enemy advances. Anyone with the rank of A+ or higher can only be considered an anti-hero.

So yeah, A little different from Caphriel's assassin. You'll see more of what Zero is capable of later.

And for those of you who say Lelouch has too many personal Skills. Each Servant's Personal Skills refer to what they've accomplished in life.


	3. Chapter 2: Assassin's Game

Figured I'd be nice and post this since it was sitting ready.

And no, Pairings remain undecided, but rest assured they will be hetero. Sorry Yaoi fangirls.

C.C: Damn.

Kirei: There's always rule 63.

Lelouch: The hell kind of priest are you?

* * *

**Fate/Zero Requiem: An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War**

**Second Night: Assassin's Game.**

Kirei felt his jaw drop, the former-executor looking on in horrified wonderment as the fireball that consumed the Tohsaka-Manor lit the night sky like a firework sans the noise, Tokiomi's precious Bounded Field ironically serving its intended purpose of keeping the uninitiated from noticing anything. Add this to the fact that the mansion was isolated even from the other members of the 'Upper Class District' Tokiomi's ancestors had built it in, and it was highly unlikely that anyone would notice its destruction until Tokiomi's family returned.

'Rin is going to kill me…' a distant part of him realised, though Kirei paid it very little mind, as he was hardly terrified of a six-year old girl, even if she WAS a Prodigy with the potential to command all Five of the classic Elements used in Magecraft. As a Magus, Kirei had long since surpassed Tokiomi's heir, the Tohsaka head, make that the LATE head, having acknowledged him as his senior apprentice after a mere three years of tutelage, something that irked his prodigal daughter to no end.

"Quite the show." Assassin mused, Kirei snapping out of his daze to gape at his Masked Servant, who sounded highly amused at his Master's reaction to the fireworks "Wouldn't you agree, Kirei?"

"…how?" Kirei demanded, his voice laden with shock and awe, though he was loathe admit it, the Executor turned Magus unable to help gaping in awe at his Servant "What did you do?"

"Unlike Tokiomi, I wasn't sitting back on my Laurels these past three years." Assassin revealed, his tone dismissive as he continued to gaze down at the show below "While he was instructing you and Rin in the arts of Magecraft, I was familiarising myself with the layout of his mansion, in particular the inner workings of his Bounded Field and the location of his jewel stockpile."

Kirei shivered, recalling the one time Tokiomi had shown him said stockpile, the result of three generations of Tohsaka transferring their power into jewels in preparation for the war. The accumulated value of the precious stones would've been enough to cover the living expenses of a normal, non-magus family for several generations, and each individual gem had enough prana packed into them to match an A-Rank destructive spell.

In short, by blowing up the stockpile, Assassin hadn't just bombed the Tohsaka manor, he'd essentially detonated the magical equivalent of a Nuclear Warhead right under Tokiomi's feet. Even if Gilgamesh had been in Astral form at the time, something Kirei doubted very much, as Tokiomi would've wanted Gilgamesh to be seen in order to drive home the power of his Servant, the sheer amount of unstable destructive magical energy would've wiped the King of Heroes from this world for the second time.

"From there, it was a simple matter of smuggling the necessary explosives into the house, and installing them in key areas." Assassin continued "Due to Tokiomi's lack of technical knowledge, it never occurred to him to check his own house for any traps other than those he placed himself." he inclined his head so that Kirei's stunned features were reflected on the surface of his mask "I trust it was to your satisfaction, Kirei?"

It was. Oh it most CERTAINLY was. For Kirei, despite his shock and the knowledge that this upset the entire plan Tokiomi and his father had concocted, was unable to deny the awe and approval he felt for the way his Servant had carried out his orders. True, it probably would've been more satisfying to kill Tokiomi himself, but the very fact that it had been HIS order that had silenced the smug prick was exhilarating.

"Father will be most displeased." He pointed out, surprising himself with how little he seemed to care for the elder Kotomine's displeasure "With this, our entire plan has been destroyed."

"Not necessarily." Assassin countered, his smile coy as he inclined his head towards the ruined mansion, Kirei following his gaze, only to blink as he espied a SECOND Assassin fleeing the scene, a bow held in one hand and a smoldering form of what could only be Tokiomi's corpse slung over his shoulder "After all, it is 'common knowledge' that members of the Assassin class are traditionally incarnations of Hassan il Sabbah, and that we are hardly front-line fighters." He inclined his head towards the ruins below "With this in mind, it is easy to determine the victor of a fight involving Archer, one of the three Knight Classes."

"I see…" Kirei mused, his expression one of stunned approval as he watched the other Assassin leap the boundary wall, escaping into the forest which led up the mountain path "People will assume that 'Archer' managed to save Tokiomi, and since Servants can sense when one of their own has passed, they will assume 'Assassin' was killed in the battle."

"Indeed." Assassin confirmed, nodding approvingly at his Master's intuition "Furthermore, with the loss of his base of operations, the other masters will prioritize searching for Tokiomi instead of focussing on you. And by assuming the role of 'Archer', I can draw out the other Servants whilst targeting the other Masters, who will undoubtedly lower their guards in the wake of 'Assassin's death, leaving them wide open for you."

"How thoughtful of you." Kirei mused, actually surprised to find himself smiling at the prospect of getting to hunt the other Masters "You must have been quite the tactician in life, to have come up with such a plan."

"You could say that." Assassin admitted, his tone amused even as he turned to face the 'other' Assassin, whom Kirei noted was taller, possessed of a more muscular build, and dressed in a black version of the Servant's purple outfit "I trust things went as planned?"

"Not…exactly." The doppelganger admitted, Kirei quirking a brow at the Servant's voice, which bore a hint of a Japanese accent, though such thoughts soon vanished as the Servant swept his cloak aside, revealing a slumbering child with golden hair held under his arm "I found him amongst the wreckage."

"There should not have been anyone in the house but Tokiomi and Gilgamesh." Assassin muttered, Kirei quirking a brow at the hint of discomfort he detected in the Servant's tone "Was there anyone else?" he sighed as the Doppelganger shook its head "Very well, we'll take him with us for now. Kirei, shall we go?"

Kirei said nothing, what was there to say? In a single night his entire view of the world had been turned on its head by the Servant he had summoned for the explicit purpose of sacrificing for the goals of another.

'This…is going to be interesting…' he mused, nodding his head once, Assassin reverting to Astral form and falling into step beside him as they made their way down the hill, the doppelganger, with the child and Tokiomi's corpse in tow, disappearing from view, no doubt taking a different route to the Chapel.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"Hey, Rider!" Waver Velvet called out, the young Magus' eyes snapping open, having witnessed the destruction of the Tohsaka manor through the eyes of his rat familiar "Tohsaka's house just got destroyed!"

"Hmm? So that's what that was?" Rider muttered, the Servant not looking away from the television, idly munching away at a plate of crackers as he watched examples of the World's Air-Forces on the television in the cluttered room he shared with his Master "I sensed one of the Seven passing away a few moments ago…looks like the Grail War's finally started."

"You don't sound too excited about it…" Waver muttered, eyeing the massive, bearded man with disapproval; and not just because of the man's attitude…though perhaps it was better to say it WAS.

In the world of Magi, it was a widely accepted rule that the length of a Magus' bloodline largely determines their abilities. The reason for this was simply a matter of mortality, for no matter how skilled the Magus or deep their resources, it was impossible for the wonders of Magecraft to be completed within one generation.

As a result, it was not uncommon, nay, it was in fact deemed only RIGHT that any parent, having reached the limits of their capabilities or nearing the end of their lifespan, to pass down the sum of their life's Thaumaturgical Research to their offspring, that they might continue and indeed refine the work of their forebears. As a result, it was generally an accepted fact that the older a family of Magi, the more powerful they were.

Waver, however, had dared to contest this 'truth', writing a thesis, 'How Wizarding Should Be in the New Century', outlining several ways, including deeper understanding of spells and improved prana control, could bridge the gap, allowing a Magus of younger bloodline to stand on the same level as one whose bloodline was considered superior.

He'd put all of his free time into writing it, and considering how hard it was for Magi from lesser families to get anything done, due to the favouritism offered to those with peerage, it was no surprise that when his Euryphis lecturer, Lord Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, not only dismissed his work as 'Juvenile Fantasies', he'd gone on to publicly humiliate Waver in front of his peers, treating him as a child despite everything he'd endured just to GET into the Association.

Needless to say, Waver hadn't been too pleased, and had stormed out of the lecture hall only to run into one of the staff, who asked him to pass on a package to Lord El-Melloi, a package that had been shipped all the way from Macedonia.

Like all his students, Waver had heard the rumours that Kayneth would be competing in some sort of magic tournament in the Far-East, presumably to prove himself worthy of the hand of the head of the summoning department, who'd been putting off their engagement for some time now, but at the time hadn't given it much thought, as he'd been preoccupied with writing his thesis.

Following his humiliation, however, the young evoker had decided to steal the relic, originally just to spite the man, though after a quick trip to the library, and learning precisely WHICH tournament the Lord El-Melloi was to participate in, he'd soon changed his game plan and had got on the first plane to Japan, using his memory manipulation skills to convince a Canadian couple living in Fuyuki that he was their grandson here on a visit.

Admittedly, he'd harboured some doubts even BEFORE he'd touched down on Japanese soil, given the barbaric nature of the Grail Wars, how could he not? But he'd persevered, and in three years of constant preparation had finally been recognised by the Grail, the command seals signifying his right as a Master appearing on the back of his hand, and two nights ago had successfully succeeded in summoning his Servant, Rider, using the very catalyst that had been intended for Lord El-Melloi, a scrap of cloth that had come from the robe of none other than Iskander of Macedonia, known to the modern world as Alexander the Great, the King of Conquerors.

Needless to say, Waver and Rider's first impressions of one another hadn't been the best. Waver regarded the King of Conquerors as a loud ox of a man with a one-track mind and no respect for his Master, refusing to remain in astral form despite the drain it put on Waver's reserves. Likewise, Iskander viewed Waver's reasons for entering the grail war, to earn the respect of his peers, as childish, and often berated the boy. He was also FAR too comfortable with spending Waver's money on what he liked to call 'War Preparations'.

Waver wouldn't have minded as much if it was the GRAIL WAR the King of Conquerors was talking about, rather than the clearly mad Servant's desire to pick up where he left off, and conquer the REST of the globe.

'I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, given his title…' he sighed, shaking his head in distress, only to yelp as something flicked him in the forehead, sending him sprawling onto the bed "OW!" he yelled, looking up to find Rider looming over him, the Servant's having used one mighty finger to flick him in the head "What was that for?"

"Did that wake you up?" Rider demanded, his features stern, though his tone was jovial as he stood with his massive fists on his hips "I've been asking you if you saw which Servant died for a while now."

"I don't know…" Waver muttered, rubbing his forehead tenderly where the Servant's fingers had struck "I didn't see who blew the mansion up, nobody went near it. But after the explosion I saw someone carrying another figure over his shoulder, he had a bow in his hands and I can't be certain but the figure on his back looked like Tohsaka Tokiomi."

"Hmm, so Tohsaka summoned an Archer class did he?" Rider muttered, the bronzed giant of a man stroking his crimson beard in thought "Guess I should've expected he'd aim for a Knight class, being one of the founding Families." He hummed thoughtfully "You said nobody went in or out of the mansion, right?"

"Yes…well, no, someone DID leave earlier." Waver corrected himself, frowning as he recalled what had happened earlier that day "It was Kotomine Kirei, Tokiomi's apprentice."

"Hmm, so the student betrays his teacher does he?" Rider mused, his expression darkening somewhat as he stroked his beard "Judging by that, it's likely he summoned Assassin and had him wait inside the mansion when he left."

"It certainly sounds like something he'd do…" Waver agreed, shivering slightly as he recalled what little he'd seen of the grim-faced man who wore the garbs of a priest despite being a magus, knowing all too well how deadly the Executors of the church could be "Which means that Assassin was the one to die, right?"

"So it would seem." Rider muttered, a frown adorning his features even as Waver breathed a sigh of relief. And for good reason, for while the three Knight Classes, Rider and Berserker were the kind to charge in headfirst and beat each other to death, Assassin and Caster were decidedly more tricky to deal with, the former being skilled in the art of assassination and the latter usually hailing from the time of the gods, meaning they could track the other servants from a distance and learn their weaknesses "Did you notice anything unusual about Archer?"

"Um…not really…" Waver murmured, only to recoil as Rider raised his hand, his middle finger readied for another fore-head flick "Give me a break! There's only so much I could see through the eyes of a rat at night! All I could tell was he wore a mask and cloak and carried a bow!"

"Not good enough!" Rider barked, his finger impacting against Waver's brow right between the eyes, sending the distressed boy sprawling back with a yelp "If I must fight someone, it will be to survive and win! Why weren't you paying closer attention to him?" he sighed at Waver's look of distress "Oh well, it matters not. Did you at least notice anything else about him? Any notable features?"

"No, his entire body was hidden beneath a black cloak and mask." Waver muttered, rubbing his brow tenderly as he sat up "Wait…there WAS something else…a mark on the mask, like a bird in flight…"

"Now we're getting somewhere." Rider mused, an approving smile adorning his features as be slapped one massive hand against Waver's back "Think you could sketch it out?"

"I can try…" Waver gasped, grimacing at the pain in his spine as he pulled himself back into a sitting position, blinking the tears out of his eyes "It wasn't that complicated..."

"Complicated or not, a mark like that on a warrior's armour is a clue as to his true identity." Rider pointed out, his voice laden with the wisdom of the battlefield as he got to his feet "We can figure out his identity later, for now get ready, we're heading out."

"Out?" Waver stammered, blinking up at the massive man in understandable confusion, wondering, not for the first time, what was going on in that unreadable mind of his "Out where?"

"Anywhere, it doesn't matter." Rider replied, that insufferable Devil-May-Care smirk adorning his face as he popped his massive neck muscles "You weren't the only one watching Tohsaka's place." He reminded his distressed Master "That means everyone else knows what happened, so they'll be racing to take Archer out before he can squirrel his Master away." He grinned expectantly as he crossed to the window "Not only that, but if it's true that Assassin was the one to fall, then the other Masters will stop waiting for attacks from the shadows and start making their own moves. We'll hunt them down and crush them as we come across them."

"You say that like it's going to be easy." Waver muttered, eyeing his Servant with a deadpan expression, not for the first time "Seriously, are you sure it's okay to be doing this?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Rider countered, smirking confidently all the while "Food and sex, sleep and war! Whatever you do, enjoy it to the fullest, that is the secret of life, and the same can be said for the hunt!" he drew his sword from its scabbard "Furthermore, I am Rider. My mobility far exceeds that of any other Servant!"

"W-w-w-wait a minute! Waver yelped, waving his arms in terror as Rider's sword began to glow, the precursor to his summoning his Noble Phantasm "Not inside! You'll blow the house away!"

* * *

_Kotomine Church... _

"I have lost my Servant." Kirei declared, standing before his father, who in turn stood before the doors to the Kotomine Church, the only agreed upon Neutral territory for the Grail War "I have forfeited my right as Master, and can no longer participate in the Holy Grail War. In accordance with the Treaty, I, Kotomine Kirei, ask that the church shelter and protect me."

"I accept your request." Risei confirmed, the elder Kotomine saying the words aloud for the benefit of the familiars that were assuredly watching from the shadows "In my role as Judge, I, Kotomine Risei, will guarantee your safety." He gestured to the doors "Now, come in."

Kirei did so, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the laughable farce he'd been forced to go through. As if his own father would deny him shelter, even if he HADN'T lost his rights as a Master.

He had to admit, however, that there were worse places to seek sanctuary. Despite being a Japanese city with an active Buddhist temple, the Kotomine church had quite the number of patrons, some of them quite influential, and so the interior of the Church was quite splendid to behold, eliciting a feeling of serene calmness as one would expect from a house of The Lord.

However, this too was merely camouflage to disguise the Church's TRUE purpose, as it had been constructed specifically to serve as neutral territory and the base of operations for the Overseer of the Holy Grail Wars.

Kirei's Grandfather had served as the first Overseer well over sixty years ago during the Third Grail War, which had ended prematurely with the destruction of the vessel. Naturally disappointed, he'd passed his desire to witness the 'Miracle' of the Grail down to his son, Risei, who would no doubt do the same with Kirei should the plan fail, which in retrospect it probably had, given what happened to Tokiomi.

"What a disaster…" Risei sighed, the elder Kotomine sinking into one of the pews; his face buried in his hands as he shook his head "How could something like this have happened?"

"We underestimated the resourcefulness of the other Masters." Assassin spoke up, Kirei quirking a brow as his Servant materialized before his father, arms hidden beneath his cloak like some sort of vampire bat "It would appear Emiya Kiritsugu's reputation is well deserved."

"So it would seem…" Risei muttered, earning a quirked brow from his son, who had never heard his father sound so agitated before "Jubstacheit…is there nothing he won't resort to?"

"From what I can tell, the Einzbern's frustrations are justified." Assassin pointed out, drawing the father and son's attention to himself "If Tokiomi's records on the war are correct then the Einzberns haven't won a single war since the founding of the Heaven's Feel ritual. Factor in their inherent pride as a Magus family, and it's easy to see they're getting impatient."

"But still, to so blatantly attack one of the other founding families." Risei muttered, the elder priest shaking his head in disbelief "Jubstacheit must be getting desperate."

"Even with those techniques he uses to prolong his lifespan, he isn't immortal." Kirei reminded his father, who frowned at the memory "Most likely he hired Emiya Kiritsugu as added insurance, as it's unlikely he'd bequeath his family's rights as Master to another."

"Unless the Grail War is meant to act as a Rite of Passage." Assassin mused, earning looks of confusion from the Kotomines "Think about it, why would the Einzberns, one of the premier Magus families in all of Europe, welcome a known heretical Magus from japan into their ranks? From what I can understand, with the exception of the Tohsaka and Matou lines they have almost no regard for oriental magi, and even then the Matou originally hailed from Europe, and the only reason they accepted the Tohsaka was their relation to Zelretch."

"Someone's been doing their homework I see…" Kirei noted, his tone laced with approval as he regarded his enigmatic servant. He had to admit, he'd been wondering how they were going to deceive his father into believing they played no part in Tokiomi's death, yet it seemed Assassin had already planned things out to the letter.

"No matter the age, information on your opponents is the key to victory." Assassin responded, inclining his head towards Risei "I was fortunate that Tokiomi did not forbid my browsing of his archives to familiarise myself with the inner-working so of the Grail War and the Magus Society, it's just a shame I couldn't repay him in kind."

"You did what you could, Assassin." Risei sighed, shaking his head morosely "Had you not retrieved Tokiomi-kun's body and brought it to me, it would've been impossible to preserve his Magus Crest." He shook his head "At the very least we can ensure that his last will and testament are carried out."

"Then Rin is to become the new head of House Tohsaka?" Kirei proposed, more of a statement than a question, as there was hardly anyone ELSE to fill the role, Tokiomi having given up his other daughter to the Matou's tender mercies.

"Yes, though I had hoped she would not have to for some time." Risei admitted, the old man looking every one of his years as he palmed his face "I'm truly getting too old for this, perhaps it's for the best that Tokiomi-kun designated YOU as her Master and Magical Guardian."

THAT certainly earned a blink from Kirei, the younger Kotomine gaping at his father, completely caught off guard by the extent of the trust Tokiomi put in him, which only served to increase the feeling of delicious irony he felt at having taken the smug bastard's life, albeit indirectly.

"The bond between a master and student is a beautiful thing." Assassin mused, his tone respectful, though Kirei just KNEW the masked Servant was smiling mockingly all the while "Wouldn't you agree, Master?"

Kirei didn't trust himself to speak, feeling the corners of his lips tugging treacherously even as he turned his back on his Servant, his face a mask of solemnity as he turned to face his father once more "On the subject of childcare, what of the boy we found in the wreckage?"

"He's fine, praise God." Risei assured them, some of the tension going out of his features at the change of subject "I put him to bed in Kirei-kun's room. Aside from a little soot and a few scrapes there was nothing wrong with him a good night's sleep won't fix." He frowned "Though I do wonder what on earth he was doing there in the first place."

"There'll be time enough to worry about that afterwards." Assassin interposed, his tone dismissive as another Assassin, the black one from earlier, stepped into view "For now, I've managed to fool the other Masters into believing 'Archer' managed to get Tokiomi to safety. Since the other Servants will have doubtless sensed Gilgamesh's demise, the other Master will believe Kirei has truly lost his Servant, and will focus their attention on locating Tokiomi before he has a chance to 'recuperate'."

"I see…" Risei mused, eyeing the second Assassin warily, as he'd possessed no prior knowledge that his son's Servant possessed such a versatile skill "The loss of Gilgamesh is a heavy one, but if Assassin can masquerade as 'Archer', then the other Masters will have no reason to suspect Tokiomi-kun is in fact dead, leaving Kirei-kun to move with anonymity."

"What better conditions for an Executor of the Church trained in the art of Magecraft to find themselves in?" Assassin agreed, his tone confident as he dismissed his doppelganger "With me distracting the other Servants, it should be child's play for you to take out the other Masters."

"My word…" Risei mused, the elder Kotomine eyeing his son's Servant with respect and, unless Kirei's senses were failing him, wariness "You truly summoned an interesting servant, Kirei."

"So it would seem." Kirei agreed, no longer able to resist the slight upturning of his lips, the former Executor openly smiling for the first time since his wife's death as he regarded his enigmatic Servant with approval "Most interesting indeed."

* * *

And I'll just leave off there.

Hopefully that will sate all you people wondering what happened to Gilgamesh and Tokiomi for the time being.

In the series, it's stated that Tokiomi made preparations in the event of his death, but I can't recall if he gave his crest to Rin before the war or not. It's mentioned that Rin didn't get the entire crest in canon, however.

In this one, Tokiomi made the preparations with Assassin's 'Uselessness' in mind, so Rin will receive, or has already received, ALL of the Tohsaka crest upon the completion of this fic.

I don't know if Servants can sense each other's passing or not (Iris and Ilya can probably sense it, being the grail itself) but I don't think it'd matter if they couldn't. Also, Lelouch displays his mind for strategy in this chapter, assuming the 'role' of 'Archer' in order to throw people off Kirei's tracks. This should be fun.

And we've seen TWO of Assassin's Noble Phantasms in action, sort of. so Like in the game, here's what has been noticed:

1. Geass: The Power of the King that Commands Absolute Authority. (EX) Mystic Eyes that can command GOD. (But then you already knew that).

2. ?(Anti-Unit): For some reason, His stats cannot be witnessed.

3. ?(Self) Can make Doppelgangers. Though for some reason they seem different from the original.

Not going to spoil anything more than that. I'll let you figure it all out on your lonesome. More details on the Noble Phantasms will be explained as the story develops.


	4. Chapter 3: Land of the Sakura Petals

Wow, you lot really seem to like this one.

Lelouch: Naturally.

C.C: They probably want to watch you get curbstomped by REAL heroes.

Kyugan: You DO remember who the Caster of this Timeline is, right?

C.C: Blame Angra Mainyu.

Avenger: Yes, because it's MY fault that I turned out this way.

Lelouch: What the hell are YOU doing here?

C.C: He followed me home, can I keep him?

Kyugan: I always wondered, were you possessing Shirou during Hollow Ataraxia or simply pretending to be him?

Avenger: Yes.

Kirei: Oh I like him.

Kyugan: You would...in any case, let's see how things have progressed.

Spoiler Warning: This Chapter is pretty-much light on the action and Lelouch Badassery. Rest assured he'll be up to his Magnificent Bastard-ery soon enough.

Still no pairings. And for the last time I won't be deviating from Shirou's Harem if I can help it!

* * *

**Fate/Zero Requiem: An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War**

**Third Night: Land of the Sakura Petals.**

Kiritsugu sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke, having just finished lighting up his first cigarette in nine years, the Magus Killer savoring the familiar taste as he made his way down the streets of the Shinto, the East Fuyuki housing district.

Unlike the western district of Miyama, Shinto was undergoing a large-scale redevelopment courtesy of the government, who wanted to construct a modern business district on the otherwise unused land. As it stood, the project was only 40% complete, thanks in no small part to the subtle interference of the city's Second Owner, Tohsaka Tokiomi, who abhorred the advances of the modern age as any self-respecting magus should.

Kiritsugu, who regarded magic as simply another 'Tool' by which to get the job done, regarded it as a meaningless effort, as the modern age had already progressed far beyond any one man's bid to curb it, evidenced by the completion of the Fuyuki Park and Shopping District, and the fact that the council were already making plans to move City Hall brick by brick from the traditional Miyama to the modern Shinto, an act which would probably be the final nail in Tohsaka's coffin as Second Owner.

Not that such things mattered to Kiritsugu. Provided human lives weren't involved, he never paid much attention to politics. The council could have decided to move the Town Hall to the moon for all he cared, provided they took the proper steps to ensure no-lives were lost.

No, it was for a different reason that the man known as the Magus Killer was making his way through the crowds, his faded black suit and trench-coat, a trademark from his days as a freelancer, giving him the appearance of someone who'd just flown in, which in the strictest sense wasn't untrue, for while he was Japanese by birth, his job had kept him from his homeland for quite some time, long enough that it was almost pleasant to traverse the old streets, taking in the transformed scenery that had replaced those he remembered from three years prior.

'I'll need to familiarise myself with the lay of the land again…' he muttered, not an unexpected obstacle given the recent developments, but an unfortunate one nonetheless, the Magus Killer making his way carefully through the altered streets to one of the many Hotels that had been erected to cater to the needs of families and businessmen alike.

He breezed through the lobby with a confidence that to the casual onlooker spoke of familiarity, but in truth was the result of memorizing the floor plans of the building, striding purposefully towards the elevator and riding it up to the seventh floor, knocking covertly on the door to room 703, which opened to reveal the wary eyes of Hisau Maiya, his assistant and protégé of sorts.

A sombre woman, Maiya had grown up as a child soldier in a war-torn land, one of countless thousand innocent souls who'd had their humanity drummed out of them thanks to constant conflict and harsh treatment their commanders used to keep them in line. Kiritsugu had rescued her during one of his many missions, taking her with him and raising her as his assistant much like he himself had been rescued and raised by Natalia following his father's death.

In the world of Magi, those few who knew of their relationship and still lived would have regarded Maiya as Kiritsugu's apprentice. While this wasn't strictly false, Kiritsugu considered Magecraft as nothing more than a tool for accomplishing his goals, and had passed this ideal down to Maiya, teaching her only what was necessary for her to complete her duties, instead choosing to focus on her skills as an assassin, honing them to the point she could wield even the crudest weapons to deadly effect.

In a sense, Kiritsugu had taken a flawed tool and turned it into a weapon he trusted more than any other, certainly more than he did the King of Knights.

Skipping unnecessary greetings, Maiya stepped back, allowing Kiritsugu to enter the room even as she examined the hallway outside, a precaution that was unnecessary, as Kiritsugu wouldn't have approached the floor unless he was certain no-one was tailing him.

"The equipment you requested has arrived." She announced after locking and bolting the door, turning round to find Kiritsugu standing at the foot of one of the single beds that occupied the room, upon which were laid enough ordinance to make a small SWAT team nervous "Madam and Saber have arrived as well, and are making their way together. That way the other masters will assume Master is Saber's Master."

"Good." Kiritsugu muttered, his expression unreadable as he ran his eyes over the assembled ordinance before him. Unlike most magi, who relied entirely on the Magecraft with little need for anything as mundane as weapons, Kiritsugu was the exact opposite, instead specialising in the use of state-of-the-art weaponry, a heresy that earned him the title of 'Magus Killer'.

The sheer amount of firepower laid out before him, ranging from firearms to explosives, could have outfitted a small platoon, just the thing one needed when preparing for a war.

"There's more…" Maiya spoke up, kneeling before a VCR as she spoke "The Tohsaka mansion was bombed last night." She revealed, popping in the recording she'd made as Kiritsugu turned to watch "Look for yourself."

Kiritsugu frowned as he watched the feed the Maiya's bat familiars had captured with the cameras strapped to their abdomens, eyes narrowing further as he watched the destruction of the Tohsaka Mansion, and Tokiomi's escape courtesy of a masked Servant wielding a bow "What do you make of it?"

"I had my familiars search the wreckage." Maiya confirmed, rising to her feet after setting the recording on repeat "The mansion was completely destroyed, even more efficiently than if we'd used Plastic Explosives, it's only thanks to the bounded field that the authorities haven't come to investigate."

"Tokiomi wouldn't have wanted them coming around in any case." Kiritsugu muttered, regarding the scene before him sternly "The problem is, who could've gotten past the bounded field to do this?"

"Assassin?" Maiya proposed, having been filled in earlier on the Seven's capabilities "Servants of that Class possess the Presence Concealment skill, and I doubt any of Hassan il Sabah's incarnations would have problems penetrating the home of a magus, regardless of skill level."

"That's certainly true." Kiritsugu conceded, though his frown didn't abate "However, just before I came over, Saber claimed she sensed one of the Seven's passing." He nodded at the masked figure on screen "If that's truly Archer, then that means Assassin was terminated."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Maiya wondered, not unduly, for while Assassin's were one of the weakest Classes, second only to Caster in terms of physical strength, their Presence Concealment skill meant the other Masters would spend most of their time jumping at shadows. With Assassin gone, the other Masters would lower their guards.

"Not necessarily." Kiritsugu muttered "There's nothing to confirm or deny it was Assassin that was eliminated." He gestured to the explosion "Also, there's the manner in which the attack was made, this isn't something a Magus would think of." He turned to look at Maiya "Did any Masters approach the Church last night?"

"Kotomine Kirei." Maiya confirmed, Kiritsugu's eyes widening at the revelation "Per your instructions, I had him followed with my familiars whenever he left the Tohsaka manor. Following the explosion, he quickly retreated to the church and was taken under the Overseer's protection." She nodded towards the screen "Given his past as an Executor, and his familiarity with Tohsaka's home thanks to his apprenticeship, it isn't impossible to think he set the explosives that destroyed the mansion."

"Maybe…but that's not his style…" Kiritsugu muttered, his tone suspicious, recalling the feeling of apprehension, if not wariness, that had overcome him when he'd read the report on Tokiomi's not-so-secret apprentice "He was a member of the 8th Sacrament, they specialise in hand-to-hand combat." He exhaled softly "To tell the truth if I didn't know any better, I'd assume WE were responsible for this."

"What do you propose we do?" Maiya asked, regarding her mentor carefully, noting the unease in his stance, giving him the air of a cornered wolf.

"For now, send a familiar to watch over the Fuyuki Church." Kiritsugu muttered, ignoring his protégé's reminder of the Church's status as a neutral zone "Keep it as close as you can without the priest noticing."

"Understood." Maiya acknowledged, sending a mental command to one of the bats still stationed at the ruins of the Tohsaka manor in the event someone returned to check the wreckage, the winged rodent making for the Fuyuki Church even as Kiritsugu availed himself of the arsenal she'd prepared.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"So this is 'Japan'…" Assassin mused, eyeing his surroundings with a small smile as he made his way down the street of Shinto, dressed in one of Kirei's spare priest uniforms, though it sagged a little due to his Master being at least 7cm taller than him "I have to admit, I'm impressed."

The sentiment was well deserved, for while it was true that the 'Japan' he had been summoned into wasn't as technologically advanced as the one he had spent the majority of his teenage years in, it was still impressive to see how far the culture had advanced without an oppressive empire to contend with.

'It's amazing they managed to get this far without Sakuradite…' he mused, wondering if the ore even existed in this world. It had initially been discovered at Stonehenge during the middle ages in his world, yet no mention of it had been made in any of the history texts of this one, and Mount Fuji, one of the premier sources, was instead being mined for something called vanadium 'Oh well, perhaps they're better off without it, considering all the trouble it brought them in MY world.'

Sighing to himself he continued on his way, returning the odd greeting he received from the local passer's-by who mistook him for a priest, an irony the 'Demon Emperor' found particularly hilarious, as he made his way towards the Fuyuki library, wanting to make use of the computer wing there, only to pause as he spotted the police robe that barred the entrance.

'A break in?' he wondered, quirking a bow at the sight of the ruined shutters 'More like a break OUT by the looks of it…' he corrected, noting how the metal only seemed to bend outwards, implying something BIG had rammed into them from the inside 'What could have done something like that? And WHY would they do such a thing instead of sneaking out?'

"Excuse me." he called out, walking over to the police officer that were currently overlooking the scene "Pardon me Officer," he called out, his eyes lighting up as his Geass Activated "But would you mind doing me a favour?"

"But of course." the Officer acknowledged, standing up straighter as the Geass Command, more like a suggestion really, overwrote his brain "What can I do for you?"

"Tell me what happened here." Assassin demanded, his tone low so as to avoid drawing attention to himself, his features genial, as if he were merely asking directions "Was anything stolen from the Library?"

"None of the staff reported any missing equipment, and all the money is locked in a safe after hours." The Officer confirmed "However, upon further investigation, the head librarian reported that two books that hadn't been borrowed were missing from their shelves."

"Books?" Assassin repeated, blinking in confusion, as what kind of thief stole books from a library, when it would've been just as easy to read them during opening hours "What kind of books?"

"An Atlas and a copy of Homer's Odyssey." The officer revealed, Assassin's brow quirking with interest, as there were very few people that would be interested in such things on THIS side of the pond, certainly not to the extent of resorting to theft "The strangest thing is that whoever did this must've been hiding inside the library the entire time, as there's no signs of a forced entry. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Not for the moment, though I may need you later." Assassin confirmed, ignoring the officer's salute as he turned on his heel and walked off, his Geass dying down as he turned his thoughts towards his latest findings.

'So, one of the other Servants decided to do a little late-night reading.' he mused, a hand coming up to stroke his chin as he made his way through the blissfully unaware crowd 'Possibly a Greek or Roman Hero judging by their interests in Greek Mythology, though why they'd be interested in an Atlas is beyond me.'

A sudden wave of prana washed over him, the Servant's eyes snapping up as he felt the approach of another Servant, scowling slightly as he stepped back into the shadows, reaching into his pocket for his sidearm. While his Presence Concealment Skill meant he wouldn't be noticed unless me made an attack, that didn't mean he was willing to take the risk of being noticed this early in the game.

'Judging by the sheer amount of prana I'm sensing, I'm guessing it's one of the Knight Classes or close enough.' He muttered, eyes narrowing as he peered out into the crowd, who continued about their business, heedless of the imminent danger 'With Gilgamesh gone, that leaves Saber, Lancer, and possibly Rider.'

He instantly dismissed Caster and Berserker from the list of possibilities, the former because for all their arcane might they were physically the weakest Servants and the latter because no sane Master would let that animal off its chains in public. The remaining classes, however, were undoubtedly the main contenders for the war, Saber having made it to the finals in each encounter, and both Lancer and Rider possessing skills that made underestimating them suicide.

'If it comes down to it I'd rather it were Rider.' He admitted to himself, as when it came to 'mounted cavalry', he was quite confident in his ability to predict the enemy's abilities. Such thoughts were soon driven from his mind as the crowd parted, giving him a good look at the Servant in question.

She was short, shorter than HIM at any rate, dressed in a well-cut black suit with a grey collared shirt, black tie and gloves, giving her the appearance of a chauffeur or bodyguard, an image that matched the look in her emerald eyes, which glanced over the passing crowd like a lioness on the prowl, set in a Caucasian face that bore an expression that reminded Assassin so much of his half-sister Cornelia that he instinctively found himself looking for her sword-rifle.

'DEFINITELY Saber…' he muttered, eyeing the Knight of the Sword warily from the shadows, not daring to revert to astral form lest he draw attention to himself, trusting in his Presence Concealment skill to keep her from looking his way 'What's she doing out in the open though? Don't tell me her Master decided to sight-see?'

As if to answer his question, a pale hand came out and grabbed one of Saber's gloved ones, Assassin following the limb to spot a tall young woman, early to mid-twenties at best, dressed in a white cashmere coat, her startling red eyes shining with a childish mirth that matched her silver hair as she pointed out something off to the side.

'That woman's not human…' he muttered, eyes narrowing at the beauty, not even bothering to question how he could know such a thing, as it wasn't just knowledge of the Era that the Grail bequeathed unto Servants 'A Homunculus of some sort? She must be the Einzbern Master.'

Heedless of their observer, the two women continued to make their way through the market sector, looking for all the world like a couple on their way to a cocktail party, the kind normally associated by movie stars and those with more coin than sense. It didn't seem they had any fixed destination in mind, instead simply wandering aimlessly, ignoring all the shops and cafés and tourist spots one would normally find such people frequenting. Occasionally they'd stop and marvel at the light of the setting sun shining on the windows of the buildings, watching the people of Fuyuki go about their busy, everyday lives from a distance.

_"Assassin…"_ Kirei called out, the Servant twitching slightly at the sound of his Master's disembodied voice echoing in his mind, still not entirely used to their means of communication _"Where are you?"_

"Shinto Market Square…" Assassin responded, keeping his voice low and pulling out a mobile phone so as to avoid drawing attention to himself "I've located Saber and her Master and am currently in pursuit."

_"Is it Emiya Kiritsugu?"_ Kirei enquired, and despite the distance between them Assassin had to roll his eyes at the, almost, childlike anticipation in his Master's voice at the man's name.

"Negative." He countered, sensing his master's disappointment through their connection "It would appear to be a woman. Judging by her complexion and crimson eyes, I can only assume she's an Einzbern Homunculus."

_"A Homunculus?" _Kirei pondered, his tone tense, and justly so, for the combat homunculi of the Einzbern were more than a match for any Church Executor or Association Enforcer, to the point it was generally advised not to tackle one head on even with superior numbers _"So Jubstacheit sent us an artificial master…typical of the man."_

"You can't deny his resourcefulness, certainly." Assassin mused, a wry smile adorning his features as he watched the pair move further along "I'm going to try and tail them from afar, see if I can't discern Saber's identity."

_"Good hunting."_ Kirei offered, the tone carrying a trace of mockery as Assassin felt his consciousness fade from his mind, the Servant waiting until he was certain the pair were gone before reverting to his Astral form and vanishing from view.

* * *

_With Saber and Irisviel..._

Saber frowned, the King of Knights emerald eyes peering into the darkness, watching for any signs of an enemy attack whilst simultaneously keeping an eye on her charge as Irisviel waded into the waters of Fuyuki beach.

Since being summoned into this world to participate in the Holy Grail war, the homunculus had been Saber's sole companion, her Master, Kiritsugu, refusing to even acknowledge her, leaving it to Irisviel to answer whatever queries the King of Knights might have. As a result, when Kiritsugu had proposed the two to go on ahead to Fuyuki without him, Saber hadn't protested TOO much, instead swearing to protect Irisviel, to the end if necessary, as was fitting a Knight.

If Kiritsugu had noticed her dedication, he certainly hadn't shown it, nor did Saber particularly WANT the man's approval. She was summoned to win the Grail War, and that was what she intended to do. She didn't have the time or patience for a man who couldn't accept the choices she'd made in her life had been her own.

"We should have come here when it wasn't dark..." she noted aloud, her tone apologetic, as if it was HER fault Irisviel had missed out on the chance to see the sun sink below the waves, only for her Master's wife to counter with a smile.

"It's fine." She assured her, smiling as she listened to the distant roar of the waves, the night air cool against her flushed cheeks "Even at night the sea is beautiful…like a mirror reflecting the night sky."

Saber couldn't help but smile at that, watching as her friend promptly stripped off her boots and stockings, dancing lightly in the surf, her innocent, naïve smile that of a young woman in the bloom of her youth, rather than a married woman with a daughter.

"Today was nice…" she mused aloud, walking along the sand with a whimsical smile "I had no idea it'd be so much fun to walk through an unfamiliar town with a gentleman."

"Then I take it my imitation of a 'gentleman' was to your liking?" Saber asked, her tone amused, and indeed a little whimsical, recalling how she and Guinevere would likewise joke with one another when in private.

"You were perfect." Irisviel assured her, smiling encouragingly at her friend and protector with her hands held behind her back like a schoolgirl "Today you truly were a magnificent Knight, Saber."

"You honour me, princess." Saber offered, bowing courteously at her friend, unable to help the smile that adorned her face at the flustered look on Irisviel's face as the homunculus turned to face the sea.

"Saber, do you like the sea?" she asked, her tone laced with innocent curiosity, so much so that Saber couldn't help but smile despite her true feelings on the subject.

"I suppose I don't really know…" she admitted, her gaze following Irisviel's "In my age and country, the sea was where my enemies arrived." She smiled somberly "I've hated it, but never once admired it."

"I see…forgive me for bringing it up." Irisviel murmured, her expression clouding slightly at the revelation as she stood in the shallows, the waves coming up over her ankles "Even though you're a woman like me, as King Arthur, you couldn't afford to enjoy something like this."

* * *

_In the shadows..._

Of to the side, concealed in Shadow, Assassin had to fight the urge to choke behind his mask, his eyes widening as he gaped at the pair, mind blown by the revelation Saber's Master had unwittingly dropped.

'King Arthur?' he marvelled, his violet eyes taking in Saber's regal features, a part of him admitting that, dressed as she was, she COULD pass for a very pretty man 'You have GOT to be joking? The Proud King of Knights is a GIRL?'

It was almost laughable; in fact were he not certain it would get him caught he probably would've collapsed in stiches already. To think that Britain's most beloved, famous King, whose adventures were the stuff of legend even in his own world to the point the founders saw fit to rename the capital 'Pendragon' after him, was in fact a slip of a girl no older than her teens.

'Milly would've loved this…' he marvelled, shaking his head in disbelief, slowly managing to get his mirth under control as he peeked out that them from the shadows 'Come to think of it, she'd have had a field day with her, she looks the serious type…'

If experience had taught him anything, it was that Milly Ashford loved the serious types, if only because it was so much fun to watch them loose their cool. The sheer terror the woman was likely to inflict on the King of Knights should she get her hands on her brought a smile to his face even as he flinched in sympathy.

His musings were cut short, however, as a sudden wave of prana washed over him, his head snapping towards the Fuyuki docks at the same time as Saber, the King of Knights tugging subtly on her Master's upper arm, instantly sobering the homunculus up. "An enemy Servant?" she asked, and despite his confidence in his Presence Concealment, Assassin couldn't help but tense at the tone of her voice.

"Yes." Saber confirmed, Assassin bracing himself to dodge at the first sign of a sword "He's making his presence known from the shadows, 100 metres from here." Assassin relaxed minutely, though not entirely "He seems to be inviting us there."

"How thoughtful…" the homunculus noted, Assassin dimly recalling Saber referring to her as Irisviel as she glanced across the water "So he wishes to choose the battlefield." She turned to smile at Saber, and for a moment Assassin swore he saw Euphemia in the woman's smile "Shall we take him up on his offer?"

'Good grief, it's like Euphie all over again.' Assassin mused, marvelling at the level of faith the homunculus was displaying in her Servant even as his heart tugged at the resemblance her personality bore to his sister's 'Still, judging by this outright challenge, the enemy servant must be either Lancer or Rider…Caster wouldn't be so foolish as to directly challenge a Knight Class, and Berserker wouldn't have the wit.'

It went without saying how an ASSASSIN would approach the situation, which was precisely why, when Saber and Irisviel made their way towards the Fuyuki docks, it was with a cloaked shadow following hot on their heels.

* * *

And I'll just leave off there.

Just to clarify: Risei was able to preserve Tokiomi's crest from his corpse, so Rin will be receiving the Tohsaka Crest as she does in canon. However, Since Lelouch essentially blew Tokiomi up, the only Gemstone she'll have, other than her own, will be the one she uses to summon Archer/EMIYA.

Again, Servants being able to sense each other's passing is something unique (to my knowledge) to this fic. Either take it at face value or ignore it, but it's something I worked in to make Lelouch's manipulations more plausible.

Besides, as the vessel for the grail, Irisviel would've sensed the passing of one of the Servants.

As for why Lelouch is running around in Kirei's Hand-Me down Priest Robes instead of his usual 'Civilian Clothes' from Code Geass, I don't think either Risei or Kirei HAD anything else to wear beyond their priest robes, and It's not like Servants can just MAKE clothes. Iskander had to order his pants and shirt, Saber was given clothes by Rin and Medusa probably got hers from Sakura. I don't know where Fate Lancer, Gilgamesh or EMIYA got their 'Civilian Clothes' from Hollow Ataraxia/Carnival Phantasm, but I'd reckon Gilgamesh purchased his own with his treasury, and probably bought Lancer the Hawaiian shirt to laugh at him, never expecting him to pull the look off.

No new abilities to reveal, sadly, expect more later as the story develops.


	5. Chapter 4: Curse of the Demonic Spear

Picking up where we left off.

Warning: Since the fight between Lancer and Saber is pretty much unchanged, I won't be writing it in detail. We'll see a summary of the fight as seen from Zero/Assassin's POV, but mostly this chapter is Zero plotting how best to take down the two remaining Knight Classes.

Lelouch: If you want to see the fight that bad, read the Novel or watch the Anime.

Kyugan: Seriously, watch it, Zero kicks all sorts of ass.

C.C: You mean Stay-Night isn't?

Kyugan: Don't get me wrong, I loved the Stay-Night anime, and ESPECIALLY the UBW movie. Zero is simply a darker story, which makes it all the more appealing. It's one of the reasons I opted to have Zero summoned here instead of in Stay/Night, well, aside from someone else beating me to it.

That said, let the games begin!

Also, some of you may notice I'm using the Proper English spelling for certain words. This is on purpose, as I am a UK citizen, and refuse to be dictated to by my Spell-checker from this point onwards. Apologies if this confuses anyone.

* * *

**Fate/Zero Requiem: An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War**

**Fourth Night: Curse of the Demonic Spear.**

Saber frowned, the King of Knights' emerald eyes peering subtly over her shoulder as she led the way towards the Fuyuki Harbour district. For some time now, she'd been getting the distinct impression that someone was watching them. It wasn't anything to do with her abilities as a Servant, well, not entirely, rather it was the experience that came from leading a nation through countless battles, carrying the burden of her people's hopes and dreams, and the disdain of her enemies.

'Could it be the enemy Servant?' she pondered, her expression unreadable as she let her senses stretch as far as they could without jeopardising her protection of Irisviel 'Doubtful, he's too far away…another Servant then?'

While it was possible for Servants to erase their presence almost entirely from the world by reverting to astral form, that didn't mean they were invisible to other Servants. Only Assassin, Servant of the Shadows, possessed the ability to conceal his presence so perfectly, and if Irisviel and Kiritsugu's report was correct, he'd already been eliminated early on in the war.

'Which would most likely explain why this other Servant is so boldly challenging us.' She mused, a hint of approval in her tone. As a Knight, it was only proper that she engage in direct combat with her foes on the field of battle. Someone like Assassin, who lurked in the shadows like a coward, waiting for the opportunity to slit the enemy's throat, had no business being summoned into a battle between Epic Heroes in her opinion.

"Is something the matter, Saber?" Irisviel enquired snapping the Knight back to reality to find her Master's wife and friend looking at her in concern "Is it the enemy Servant?"

"It's nothing, Irisviel." Saber assured the homunculus, though her expression didn't change as she continued to eye her surroundings "Just being careful.'

* * *

_Meanwhile_...

'Sharp senses…' Assassin muttered, the Masked Servant peering from behind cover, having reverted to his true apparel in order to minimize the chances of being noticed by Saber 'As expected, Servants of the Knight Class truly are in a class of their own.'

Assassin harboured no delusions as to his chances should he engage any of the other Servants without a proper game plan. Even learning Saber's identity, gender inaccuracy aside, did little to minimize the threat she posed. If anything knowledge of who she was only made her all the more intimidating.

'Reconnaissance would be the best option for now…' he deduced, breaking away from the pair the moment they arrived at the harbour, climbing the massive, unmanned Derrick Crane that loomed over the battlefield like a titan in the night sky, his eyes narrowing as a voice called out to greet the pair, a tall figure wielding two lances stepping into view.

'So it WAS Lancer.' He mused, peering down at the two remaining Knights, the tension in the air so thick it would've needed a Maser Sword to cut it, 'Have to give him credit, he picked a good spot for the first 'official' battle of the Grail War.'

The spot Lancer had chosen for his duel with Saber was on the end of the west bank of the seaside park, an area cluttered with storehouses and a harbour that separated the eastern industrial area from Shinto proper. What made the place so perfect for the duel between two Knights was the fact it was literally deserted at night, all the dock and warehouse workers having long since gone home, the street lights shining overhead serving little purpose save to illuminate the Knights of Spear and Sword as they faced each other down, Saber's black suit vanishing in a wave of Prana, replaced with a blue dress, silver armour adorning the hem along with her arms, chest, and her feet.

'Not wasting any time, are they?' he mused, a smile adorning his features as he stood atop the crane, his arms crossed before him, cloak blowing in the breeze as he watched the two Knights face off, wondering how the King of Knights would hold up to the legends spun in her name as she berated Lancer for his 'Mystic Face' before lunged forwards in a burst of Prana, her invisible sword at the ready.

'That's either Excalibur or Caliburn…' he deduced, recalling the legends on King Arthur he'd grown up reading as a child. Either weapon would pose a serious problem, for by the statistics of the Grail War, both Caliburn and Excalibur were regarded as A-Rank Noble Phantasms, though Excalibur held the distinction as an 'Anti-Fortress' Type, making it A++.

'And that's not the worst of it…' he recalled, violet eyes narrowed in concentration as he eyed the King of Knights warily "There's still Excalibur's Scabbard to consider.'

In the legends, it was said that he who bore the Scabbard would suffer no injury, nor would he age or fall sick. The legends also stated that it was stolen, in which case, it stood to reason she DIDN'T have it, but Assassin knew better than anyone that making assumptions in battle was a costly mistake to make, even more so when your opponent was the King of Knights.

He paused, head coming up briefly as the tell-tale feel of Prana signalled the activation of a bounded field, all other noise save the howling of the sea wind and the clash of steel vanishing into the ether.

'Lancer's Master's work no doubt.' He muttered, having sensed nothing from Irisviel, and indeed, the homunculus had not made a move since Saber had accepted Lancer's challenge 'He must want to avoid drawing the other Masters with the ruckus the battle with Saber is likely to kick up. A good plan, had he not alerted me to his presence.'

Reverting to his corporeal form he snapped his fingers, a second Assassin appearing crouched before him, this one dressed in a hot pink version of his uniform, much to his chagrin. "Lancer's Master is lurking somewhere out there." He revealed, his eyes never leaving the fight below, entranced by the dance of flesh and steel "See to it that something…untoward, happens to him."

"As you command, Zero-sama." The pink Assassin acknowledged, bowing in acknowledgement before promptly back flipping off the crane, vanishing without so much as a sound, leaving Assassin to resume watching the battle below with a hint of wonderment as Saber charged headlong towards Lancer, the Knight of the Spear lashing out with his long spear, the concrete shattering beneath the blow even as he fended off her invisible sword with his short spear, the sheer force of their blows causing the ground beneath them to crumble.

'How the hell can she swing a sword so hard with those scrawny arms?' Assassin muttered, a hint of bitterness in his tone, for if anything Saber's physique was even frailer than his own, and yet was landing blows that he could FEEL all the way up here, though Lancer was proving apt enough at avoiding her strikes.

Such was the benefit of a spear. While it's true the objective was to impale your opponent on the blade, that wasn't the only way it could be used. Whether it was for offence and defence, a spear was actually a more effective killing tool than a sword.

'Kendo Sanbaidan as Todoh used to say…' he mused, shaking his head at the memory of Suzaku's mentor and his former subordinate, only to blink as the pink Assassin reappeared behind him "What's wrong? Did you find Lancer's Master?"

"I did." The doppelganger acknowledged, bowing her masked head "However, I also noticed Emiya Kiritsugu and an unknown woman attempting to flank him, and felt I should let you know."

"So they really DID hire the Magus Killer." Assassin muttered, his eyes narrowing at the mention of the Einzbern's supposed ace-in-the-hole "What did you notice about them?"

"They appear to be using rifles fitted with night-vision and infrared scopes." The doppelganger revealed, earning a quirked brow from Assassin "I believe it's a means of tracking enemy masters without using Prana."

"Tokiomi's journals DID mention that using Prana causes a Magus' circuits to heat up." Assassin mused, internally applauding the Magus Killer's genius. While it was true there were more efficient ways of seeing in the dark a Magus could use, reinforcement being but one of them, their use would be like sending up a signal flare to any other Masters or Servants in the area. By using modern technology, which contained and relied on no Prana at all, Kiritsugu and his accomplice could effectively hunt the other Masters down from the shadows without ever being noticed.

'Well…ALMOST.' He corrected, summoning another pair of doppelgangers, ordering the trio to tail the concealed magi for now, as there was little need to exert himself killing Lancer's Master if he could get someone else to do it. That, and if she followed the Magus Killer back to his base of operations, they could probably alleviate some of the man's ordinance whilst gathering information of who else he had with him.

'Better to be prepared than be caught wanting.' He mused, watching stoically as Lancer slowly but steadily drove Saber back, the King of Knights constantly watching both of his spears, no doubt trying to ascertain his true identity. 'Judging his features and accent I'd say he's of Celtic origin.' He mused peering down at Lancer even as the spearman carved up the ground with a single sweep of his spear 'Only fitting I suppose, the Celtic legends had quite a few legendary spears if memory serves. The only problem is WHICH spearman…'

"That's enough playing around, Lancer." A cold, aristocratic, disembodied voice called out, Assassin's brow quirking as Lancer's not-so hidden Master made his presence known at last "Do not allow this fight to drag on any further. Saber is a formidable opponent, defeat her with all haste. You may use your Noble Phantasm."

'Getting impatient are we?' Assassin mused, his eyes instantly locking onto Lancer's form as the Spearman discarded his shorter weapon, the talismans that enveloped the longer one vanishing with a burst of Prana, revealing an ominous crimson weapon with which he boasted to reveal Saber's blade, a claim that soon proved true, for the moment the two weapons clashed a tempest erupted, Saber looking on in shock as the wind magic that concealed her blade beneath was disrupted, revealing the weapon beneath.

'As I thought, Excalibur.' Assassin muttered, a sense of wonder and apprehension washing over him as he gazed upon the Sword of Promised Victory, the most Sacred Holy Sword that only the King of Knights was permitted to wield even as he eyed Lancer 'A warrior with a Mystic Face that entrances women, skilled in the use of twin spears, with a spear that can negate magic…' a coy smirk adorning his features as the gale from the clashing weapons died down 'Good grief, you really don't have much luck when it comes to women, do you, Diarmuid?'

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, first warrior of the Knights of Fianna, otherwise known as Diarmuid of the Love Spot thanks to the magical spot granted to him by a young girl that caused any woman who saw it to instantly fell in love with him. A 'gift' which would eventually lead him to his death. One of the most famous warriors in Celtic Mythology, he was said to have wielded twin spears.

'Gae Dearg: The Crimson Rose of Exorcism.' he mused, eyeing the crimson spear warily before turning his attention to the discarded short spear 'Which would make the other one Gae Buidhe: The Golden Rose of Mortality.' he surmised, eyeing the apparently forgotten weapon even as Lancer and Saber exchanged words once more, the two having finally identified one another after their last exchange 'A spear that 'Cancels Magic' and a spear that creates 'Wounds that cannot be healed', a formidable combo indeed.'

He paused in his calculations at Irisviel's cry, looking down just in time to see the Einzbern Homunculus use her Healing Magic to restore the King of Knights to full health, the wounds Saber had received from Lancer cleaving through her magically summoned armour vanishing in an instant.

'Wait, why would she even NEED healing?' he wondered, eyeing the King of Knights with understandable confusion even as she thanked her Master for the assist 'Shouldn't Avalon have protected her? Or at the very least healed her wounds?'

Anyone who knew the legend of King Arthur knew that Excalibur's Scabbard, Avalon, prevented any harm to its wielder. As a Defensive Noble Phantasm it was unmatched, an EX ranked mystery that transcended the Five True Magics.

How then had Diarmuid managed to land a blow on Saber? Even with its Magic Cancellation ability, as a mere B-Rank Noble Phantasm Gae Buidhe shouldn't have put so much a dent in Saber's armour. And even if the legends regarding Avalon's defensive powers had been greatly exaggerated, which Assassin highly doubted given the information afforded him by the Throne of Heroes, the moment the spear left Saber's flesh Avalon should have instantly healed the damage done to its wielder.

'Even if her legend claims it was stolen prior to her death, that doesn't mean she shouldn't have it as a Noble Phantasm.' He muttered, eyes narrowing in suspicion as he listened to the two Knights exchange banter 'The same goes for Caliburn. If Excalibur is too well known to be used openly, why not wield Caliburn in its stead?'

It was a mystery to be certain. As a Saber class, he could understand King Arthur being denied his, her rather, Spear or Horse. Diarmuid himself possessed two famous swords which were denied him as a Lancer after all. But both Caliburn and Excalibur's scabbard were an intrinsic part of King Arthur's legend, Caliburn being the Sword in the Stone that she had drawn to become King in the first place, while the Scabbard came as a pair with Excalibur.

Had she been summoned to any other class he might understand her lacking them, but as a Saber Class Servant there was no excuse for her NOT to have them on her person.

'Could she have given Avalon to her Master for her protection?' he wondered, eyeing the Einzbern Homunculus critically for anything that might resemble or be large enough to conceal Excalibur's scabbard. While a tactically sound plan so far as ensuring her lifeline to this world remained, it left the King of Knights' own defences, while hardly lacking, less secure than one would expect.

'Which would mean Lancer's Gae Buidhe should prove just as effective, if not more so.' He mused, eyeing the pile of gravel that cleverly concealed the Golden Rose of Mortality, his mind racing as he revised his strategies for the war 'Perhaps it would behove me to spare his Master for the moment.'

With Gilgamesh out of the picture, Saber was easily the most powerful Servant in the Grail War. Even without Avalon, her own natural strength and Magic Resistance ensured that facing her in direct combat would be tantamount to suicide. Hell, facing ANY of the other Servants without a proper battle-plan would be tantamount to Suicide, for as confident as Assassin was in his own Noble Phantasms, the fact remained that, statistically, he was still the weakest Servant next to Caster, and even then he dared not make assumptions till he'd seen the Magus in action.

'Not that I'd be stupid enough to directly challenge them anyway.' he scoffed, shaking his head at the very idea, recalling the conversation with Kallen from long ago, when she'd tried to convince him to take the Gurren as his personal Knightmare ' I'm a General, not a soldier. For the moment, it may prove beneficial to have the other Servants pick each other off, whilst targeting their Masters.' He smiled coyly 'Though depending on the outcome of this duel, Lancer's Master may gain a temporary reprieve.'

A burst of Prana below drew his attention back to the fight, the Masked Servant quirking a brow as Saber dismissed her armour in a burst of wind, which gathered around Excalibur, the blade glowing a bright gold as the King of Knights propelled herself towards lancer, the Knight of Fianna smirking confidently as he kicked up the dirt at his feet to reveal Gae Buidhe in all its golden glory, Assassin's breath catching as The Golden Rose of Mortality lunged at Saber's unprotected throat.

* * *

_Fuyuki Bridge... _

"Damn." Rider muttered, the King of Conquerors' eyes narrowing as he gazed across the vast distance that separated the Fuyuki Harbour from the Fuyuki bridge "This is bad."

"What is?" Waver whimpered, the poor boy practically pissing himself with fear as he held onto the steel frame of the bridge for dear life as Iskander got to his feet.

"Lancer has used his Ultimate Attack." The King of Conquerors muttered, arms crossed before him and a scowl adorning his features "He wants to end the battle quickly."

"I don't see the problem with that…" Wave stammered, if anything, the sooner the battle ended, the sooner he could get down from here and back onto solid ground "Wouldn't that be better for us?"

"Fool!" Rider barked, stamping on the steel frame, Waver shrieking as he desperately tried to avoid falling off "I wanted to wait until a few more Masters entered the fray, but at this rate it looks like Saber's going to be defeated."

" Wasn't the plan to strike once they've worn each other down?" Waver wondered hesitantly as he peered up at his Servant, having never seen him look so serious before

"Don't misunderstand me, boy." Rider muttered, his brows furrowing as he tilted his head to regard his Master with a solemn, disappointed look "My reason for waiting is that I was hoping other Servants would answer Lancer's challenge." He shook his head, looking disappointed of all things "Rather than picking them off one by one, it would've been far better to get them all together and finished them off all at once."

"All at once?" Waver repeated, blinking up at his Servant in stunned wonderment, wondering what on earth a Free-For-All between Seven, 'Six' he corrected himself, Epic Heroes would be like if Saber and Lancer's battle were any indication "You mean a Battle Royal?"

"Indeed!" Rider agreed, placing his fists on his hips as he gazed proudly at the Harbour "Rarely does one have the opportunity to exchange blows with heroes from another age. I can't allow one of the remaining five to fall so soon." He gestured to the harbour "Just look at Saber and Lancer. Both are valiant warriors that I would love to duel with." He smiled knowingly "Even Archer seems to think so."

"Archer?" Waver repeated, blinking up at his Servant in understandable confusion, turning his attention back to the docks and squinting as he tried to spot the Masked Servant of Tohsaka "Where is he? I don't see him."

"He's been watching from the crane." Rider supplied, smirking confidently as he watched the massive structure "He arrived at the same time Saber did, so it's highly likely he's been following her all day."

"Which means Tohsaka is still alive…" Waver muttered, shivering slightly. It was only understandable really, for not only was Tokiomi a member of the Three Founding Families behind the Grail War, he was also the Second Owner of Fuyuki, which meant he had an intensive knowledge of the city. While the loss of his home and base of operations was undoubtedly a Major setback, it was likely Tokiomi had several substitutes none of the other Masters, with the possible exception of the Matou, knew of.

"A good thing too." Rider opined, smiling approvingly "Any Servant that can't protect their Master doesn't deserve to call himself a 'Hero'. I'm certain he'd agree that it'd be a waste to see Saber or Lancer die before we've all had a chance to cross swords."

"But isn't that the point?" Waver exclaimed, his tone bordering on hysterical as he tried to comprehend his clearly insane Servant "Isn't the point of the Holy Grail War to kill each other-!"

He trailed off with a yelp as Rider mercilessly flicked him on the forehead, sending him sprawling on his back, his eyes widening as he saw the cars below fly past.

"Victory without Ruin, Domination without Disgrace. That is true conquest!" Iskander proclaimed as he drew his sword, lightning crackling around the blade as he sliced through the very air, cleaving apart the empty space, a massive shining chariot drawn by two equally impressive oxen emerging in a crack of thunder, Waver crying out in terror as he held onto the frame for dear life "The time for Observation is over! We shall participate in this battle, boy!"

"You're INSANE!" Waver managed to get out between his chattering teeth, gaping up at his Servant in desperation as he clung to the bridge for dear life, "This is Madness!"

"Madness?" Rider repeated, the King of Conquerors turning to grin at his Master, a knowing look in his eyes as Waver braced himself for a blow that, thankfully, never came "You're more than welcome to stay here and watch if you don't approve."

"I'LL GO!" Waver shrieked, not even stopping to consider how he was more terrified of being left on his own on the bridge than of following Rider into battle against THREE other Servants "Take me with you, you idiot!"

"Good!" Rider declared, laughing jovially as he grabbed Waver's collar, lifting the terrified boy up into the chariot "That's more like my Master!" he proclaimed as he hauled on the reins, Waver crying out in alarm as the Chariot took off into the night sky with a crack of thunder.

* * *

_Back at the duel..._

'That was a little too close…' Assassin marvelled, the Masked Servant releasing the breath he'd unknowingly held as Saber used the momentum from her Prana Burst to allow her to narrowly avoid Lancer's fatal blow by a hair, landing a grazing blow to Diarmuid's wrist in passing, forcing the Knight of Fianna to drop the Golden Spear.

'If I wasn't already dead, I'd say that was bad for my heart.' he mused, ignoring Diarmuid's Master as the man berated the Knight for failing to take Saber's head, he found himself gazing at the King of Knights as she summoned her armour back, Excalibur once again hidden beneath its sheath of air as she moved into a ready stance. 'Admirable resolve…' he marvelled, unable to help the respect and awe he had for the deceptively small woman 'Though it seems she's favouring her left arm…Lancer must have landed a glancing blow.' He deduced, a suspicion Irisviel confirmed as she proclaimed her inability to heal Saber for all to hear 'With Gae Buidhe's effect, she won't be able to swing her sword as she was earlier…I estimate her overall power has been cut in half.'

While things like statistics didn't really hold up when it came to Servants, Lancer's neutralization of Saber's left arm was a master-stroke. Without it, the King of Knights wouldn't be able to unleash her full potential, which meant Excalibur wouldn't be making an appearance any time soon until either Diarmuid or Gae Buidhe were destroyed.

'In which case, it would probably be in my best interests to keep Lancer alive until Saber has been taken out.' Assassin deduced, glancing down at the Knight of Fianna, who was voicing his pleasure at being able to face off against the King of Knights, unable to help rolling his eyes at the praises Saber offered her enemy 'I don't know how my own Noble Phantasms would measure up to Excalibur, but better safe than sorry.'

At that moment, just as Lancer and Saber were bracing themselves for another clash, one which would undoubtedly be in the Diarmuid's favour, given the injuries he'd bestowed upon his opponent and Assassin's planned ambush, a crash of thunder tore through the air, Assassin's eyes widening as a bolt of lightning struck the ground between the two Knights, forcing them to back away.

* * *

And I'll just leave off there.

Quick Recap: Tokiomi and Gilgamesh are out of the running. Probably not the best idea I had, but what the hell, I wanted to be different. I admit this isn't something Lelouch would do and that using Geass on Tokiomi would've been smarter. If anyone thinks this should've been done, let me know in reviews and I'll correct the oversight.

Regardless, Zero/Assassin is masquerading as 'Archer' to fool the other Servants and Masters into letting the guard down.

Servants can now sense when one of them dies, though they can't tell WHICH Servant died. It's sort of like how Immortals can tell when one of their own loses his head in Highlander.

This is probably going to be a short fic, since Lelouch isn't one to mess around with something as tantalizing as the Holy Grail dangling in front of his nose.

Ability Update! Sort of...

1. Geass: The Power of the King that Commands Absolute Authority. (EX) (Nothing new here).

2. ? (Anti-Unit): For some reason, His stats cannot be witnessed.

3. ? (Self) Can make Doppelgangers, each with their own personality and skills. Despite being able to operate independently, they cannot communicate over distance without assistance (Such as telephones, hand signs etc.).


	6. Chapter 5: Howl of the Mad Beast

Picking up where we left off.

This encounter is where things begin to change, though admittedly not that much. What few changes occur are all calculated by Zero/Assassin to further his plans. Will he side with Lancer or Saber? Will Iskander be able to sway him to his side?

Who knows? Though personally I'd side with Broskander any day.

That said, let the games begin!

On an unrelated note: Yes, I've heard about Apocrypha making Mordred a girl. Personally? I do not care, as the story is all that matters.

* * *

**Fate/Zero Requiem: An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War**

**Fifth Night: Howl of the Mad Beast.**

'Caster?' Assassin wondered, cursing as he glanced up at the sky along with Saber and Lancer, shielding his eyes from the lightning, only to blink at the sight descending on them from on high 'A Chariot?' he stammered, unable to help gaping at the sight of the massive, ox-drawn vehicle that was thundering towards them, an apt description given the lightning that was coming off the massive beasts' hooves, their bellows matched only by the war-cry of the equally massive man at the reigns as he directed his vehicle to land between the shocked Knights.

Rider, it seemed, had decided to get in on the action, Assassin eyeing the walking mountain of muscle with trepidation as the man spread his arms wide beneath his fur-lined crimson cloak. "Both of You! Sheathe your weapons!" he commanded, his very voice seeming to boom like thunder in the silence that followed his arrival, Assassin unable to help a shiver of apprehension that raced up his spine at the fiery glint in the man's crimson eyes that almost DARED, nay, INVITED anyone to defy him "You stand in the presence of a King!"

'He certainly acts like one…' Assassin muttered, shivering as he tried to rid himself of the memory of his father that had superimposed itself over the Servant's form 'Though I doubt its respect that is staying Saber and Lancer's blades…'

Indeed, as proud warriors and Servants, it would take more than words, even those from a Servant, to make either Knight back down. It was far more likely they were still stunned by Rider's sudden intervention in their duel, and were simply waiting to see what the massive man wanted before either ignoring him outright or finishing him off.

"My name is Iskander, the King of Conquerors!" the massive Servant declared, heedless of the looks of shock that adorned his audience's features at how cavalierly he revealed his true name before his opponents, Assassin's eyes widening at the bold-faced revelation "I am participating under the Rider class in this Holy Grail War!"

'Is he insane?' Assassin wondered, the Masked Servant unable to comprehend why Iskander, Alexander the Great himself, would do something as costly as revealing who he was, given the power a Servant received from their legend.

While Alexander's legend was not as influential on Britannian Society as the Arthurian legends, the fact remained that the man was one of the greatest tacticians of his era, indeed, a revolutionary whose many successes had inspired many a Britannian campaign, entire lectures were often devoted to them at the Military Academy. As such, as a fellow tactician, it was almost PAINFUL to watch the King of Conquerors make such a foolhardy mistake.

'That is…if it even IS a mistake…' Assassin muttered, his eyes narrowing as he gazed down at the living legend, ignoring the cries of the distraught boy, likely Rider's Master, that was apparently riding in the Servant's chariot, recalling the break in at the Library earlier that day, more accurately the objects that had been stolen 'Iskander wouldn't make any move if it wasn't integral to his victory, and I highly doubt there's a Servant alive who HASN'T heard of the King of Conquerors.'

In short, Rider didn't NEED to hide his name to be more effective in battle. The sheer fact that you faced a man who once conquered the known world would be enough to give any Hero food for thought. True, Lancer's spears could give him an advantage in one-on-one combat, but against a Rider-class' hit-and-run tactics, they would serve little purpose. The same could be said for Saber, even if she weren't injured, there was little good an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm could do her against Rider's speed unless she unleashed it right as he was charging her, timing that would need to be spot on. Bereft of Excalibur, she was in a WORSE position than Diarmuid, statistically speaking.

'Though Statistics mean little when it comes to Servants…' he reminded himself, turning his attention back to the King of Conquerors, who had silenced his Master with a flick to the forehead 'A fact Iskander knows all too well.'

* * *

_With the other Servants... _

"Fate has brought us all together to fight for the Grail." Iskander called out, heedless of his Master's whimpering as he smiled at the two Knights, as if greeting old friends "But first, I would like to ask you something." He spread his arms wide as if to embrace them both "How about yielding the Grail to me and joining my army? If you forfeit your claims to the Grail, I would regard you as friends, and share with you the joy of conquering the world!"

Up on the scaffolding, he spotted Archer stumble as if struck from behind, the King of Conquerors unable to help the widening of his smile at the reaction, though it soon faded as Lancer and Saber spoke up, the two of them shooting down his generous offer without a moment's hesitation, Saber actually berating him for 'insulting' her.

'High-strung that one…' Rider sighed, scratching the back of his head in exasperation, entirely unconcerned by the hostile glares being sent his way by the two Knights "I am more than willing to discuss terms." He offered, feeling he was being perfectly civil in doing so, only to be rejected once more.

"Besides, I myself am a King." Saber declared, her expression defiant, and unless the King's eyes were failing him, disappointed as she matched him look for look "A King responsible for the well-being of the Kingdom of Britain. No matter how great a King you are, I cannot lower myself to the rank of Subject."

"The King of Britain you say?" Rider mused, his brows raising in surprise as he took another look at the small figure "What a Surprise! I didn't expect the King of Knights to be a little girl!"

"Would you like to try the blade of this 'Little Girl', King of Conquerors?" Saber demanded, holding the invisible Excalibur with both hands, heedless of the pain in her left arm, refusing to show weakness before another King.

"Looks like negotiations have failed…" Rider sighed, his brows furrowing as he rubbed the side of his head, ignoring Waver's cries of protest even as he glanced up at the crane "Or maybe not. What do YOU have to say on the matter, Archer?"

"Archer?" Saber and Lancer wondered, tensing at the mention of their fellow Knight, Saber letting out a curse as she lunged next to Irisviel to protect her from a sneak attack "Where is he, Rider?"

"There, atop the highest structure." Rider revealed, his tone jovial as he smiled at the King of Knights "I saw him following you and your Master when you came to answer Lancer's Challenge. He's been watching the entire fight this whole time."

'Damn it all!' Saber swore, her eyes narrowed even as Irisviel's widened at the idea of an enemy Servant being so close to them this whole time without either of them noticing.

"Lurking in the shadows…" Lancer muttered, the Knight of Fianna's handsome features hard as he glared up at the crane accusingly Lances at the ready "You call yourself a Knight, Archer?

"Go easy on him, Lancer." Rider urged, his tone jovial as he stood with his arms crossed before him "After all, as an Archer, he's best suited to fighting from a distance. Yet not once during your battle did he ever draw a weapon. Nay, if anything you should applaud him for allowing your Duel with Saber to proceed uncontested, for I highly doubt he was the ONLY other Servant drawn by the sound of your clashing blades."

Lancer fell silent, his eyes still narrowed, though it was clear most of the anger he'd harboured had faded in the face of Rider's words as he eyed their surroundings along with Saber, leaving Rider to turn his attention back to the crane as he spread his arms wide.

"So what say you, Archer? Are you not ashamed to lurk in the shadows despite the prowess displayed here by Lancer and Saber?" he demanded, raising both fists in the air "And as for the rest of you that are surely lurking in the shadows, gather here and now! Those too cowardly to show themselves will earn the scorn of Iskander, King of Conquerors!"

* * *

_With Assassin... _

'He certainly has a way with words…' Assassin noted, swearing under his breath as his position was compromised. True, it didn't mean anything to him, as his doubles were currently watching over Kiritsugu, his accomplice and Lord El-Melloi like hawks, and were more than capable of acting autonomously without his direction.

It was simply the very fact he'd been discovered upset his game plan.

He'd intended to wait until either Lancer or Saber were eliminated, preferably the latter, before swooping in to finish off the victor before they had a chance to recover. Considering both of their Masters were within striking distance, it would take but one well-placed bullet to take out the remaining two Knights.

However, thanks to Rider's thunderous arrival, not only was this plan officially shot to hell, but his position AND said objectives had been compromised.

'What to do…' he muttered, eyes narrowing in thought 'No self-respecting Servant would ignore such a blatant provocation, certainly not a member of the Knight Class. If I refuse to answer his challenge and remain hidden, then they'll become suspicious.'

That and a part of him was rankled by the King of Conqueror's words. His pride, which many had warned him was one of his greatest weaknesses, rising to the fore at the idea that ANYONE would consider him a coward.

'Damned if I do, damned if I don't…' he sighed, shaking his head at the idea even as he made to step into view, only to blink as a surge of Prana heralded the arrival of another Servant, his eyes widening as a black knight appeared below, his armoured form obscured by a strange dark fog, the howl, like a maddened beast, that emerged from the creature tearing through the night sky.

'Berserker!' he swore, his eyes narrowing as he glared at his foe, trying and failing to spot any discernible features through the thick fog even as he stepped back to a less visible position 'Kirei,' he called out over their link 'Can you see anything?'

_'Nothing.'_ came the reply, the Executor's words grim inside Assassin's mind as he peered at the Mad Servant through his Servant's eyes _'Whatever that fog is, it's preventing me from seeing his stats.'_

'Must be a Noble Phantasm…' Assassin deduced, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he glared at the black Knight, only to blink as the Mad Servant turned to glance at Saber, the crimson light emanating from the grill of his helmet lighting up with hellish intent as he began to tremble in fury 'Oh dear...'

* * *

_With the Servants... _

"Hey, King of Conquerors." Lancer called out, a smirk adorning his handsome features as he regarded the clearly Mad Servant warily, knowing all to well what a maddened beast could do if underestimated "Aren't you going to invite him to join you?"

"Invite him?" Rider muttered, the King of Conquerors grimacing at the idea even as he regarded the black knight with a hint of disappointment "He doesn't look too interested in negotiating to begin with." He muttered, before patting a trembling Waver on the head "So, boy. How powerful a Servant is he?"

"I…I don't know." Waver stammered, the long-suffering poor boy gazing upon what was arguably the most dangerous Servant of all with terrified confusion "I just…can't tell at all…!"

"What?" Rider exclaimed, a little petulantly, not that Waver noticed, the King gazing down at his Master with palpable disappointment "You may be a lousy Master, but shouldn't you still be able to sense his Strengths and Weaknesses?"

"I can't!" Waver countered, unable to tear his eyes away from the Black Knight "I can tell how strong Lancer and Saber are just fine, but other than the fact I can tell he's a Servant, I can't read anything about that thing!"

"Looks like another troublesome enemy showed up…" Irisviel muttered, the homunculus sticking as close to Saber as she could, the King of Knights grimacing as more and more Servants seemed to pop out of the woodwork, making it all the harder for her to protect her stand-in Master.

'Lancer at least I can trust to act with the decorum of a Knight.' She muttered, eyeing the Spearman before glancing at Rider 'The King of Conquerors I'm not so certain, it would be tactically sound to take another Master Hostage, but something tells me he'd never resort to such tricks.'

That just left Berserker and the still concealed Archer. While it troubled her that the Knight of the Bow had been watching over their battle all this time, the fact he hadn't targeted Irisviel while she was battling Diarmuid spoke highly of his character. That just left Berserker to worry about, a realization she came to just in time as the black knight's head turned towards her, like a hound sniffing out its prey, the hellish light escaping from its grill seeming to grow brighter as a howl of unrestrained malice tore from its throat, the Mad Servant lunging at her with the force of a wild beast, grabbing the pole that had been severed during her earlier duel with Lancer.

"Irisviel! Get back!" Saber Yelled, lunging forwards to meet the attack, blocking it with her Excalibur, only to blink as, rather than being cleaved in two by her blade, the pole continued to bear down on her, forcing the King of Knights to redouble her efforts to hold it at bay.

'How is this possible?' she wondered, grimacing as she braced herself against Berserker's insane strength. By all rights, the only thing that could possibly match a Noble Phantasm was ANOTHER Noble Phantasm, like Lancer's Spears or Rider's Chariot, yet here Berserker was pushing her back with something he'd picked up off the ground.

'Wait…' she muttered, her eyes widening as she spotted the black lines, like the veins of a leaf, that covered the impromptu weapon, seemingly emanating from where Berserker's armoured hands gripped it, spreading out like a Spider's web 'So that's it, he's reinforcing it with his Prana Whatever he touches BECOMES a Noble Phantasm!"

"Who are you!" she demanded, driving her opponent back, only for the Black Knight to bounce back almost immediately, ceaselessly pressing his attacks, the King of Knights grimacing beneath the strain due to her wounds her eyes widening as he brought his improvised weapon around for a blow that would've surely crushed her skull, were it not for the timely intervention of Lancer, who cleaved the iron pole in half with a single swing of his lance.

"That's enough playing around, Berserker." The Knight of the Spear proclaimed, pointing Gae Dearg at the Mad Servant accusingly "Saber has a previous engagement with me. I won't just ignore it if you insist on interfering further."

"What are you doing, Lancer?" the Spearman's Master demanded, the anger in his tone more than apparent as the Servant's, with the exception of Berserker and Rider, flinched, having completely forgotten about him during the battle "This is your chance to defeat Saber."

"I will slay Saber!" Lancer proclaimed, Saber's eyes widening at the expression on the Knight's face, the almost desperate expression in his eyes "I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, swear this on my honour! My lord, I but ask that you allow me to put down this mad dog first!"

For a moment, all was silent, and Saber actually gave herself a second to breathe at the apparent sign of Lancer's Master's consent, only for a shiver to race down her spine at the man's next words.

"With my command Seal, I order you…" he called out, Lancer's plea falling on deaf ears even as Saber braced herself for what was sure to come "Lancer, assist Berserker and kill Saber."

Even though she knew it was coming, the sheer speed and momentum of Diarmuid's spear still caught Saber by surprise, the King of Knights bracing herself for the blow, only to blink as, rather than impacting off her sword, Gae Dearg's shaft was blocked by a hexagonal pane of pink light, the Crimson Rose of Exorcism ricocheting off with an audible clang, it's deadly tip halting a hair's breadth from connecting.

"And here I was thinking your luck with women was bad, Diarmuid." a charismatic voice noted, Irisviel's cry of surprise drawing Saber's attention to her stand-in Master, the King of Knights' eyes widening at the sight of the masked figure standing at the Homunculus' side "Though it would seem your luck with Masters is just as bad."

* * *

_With Kiritsugu... _

Kiritsugu swore at the sight of the Servant manifesting next to his wife, the Magus Killer bringing his weapon to bear on him despite the fact he wasn't armed with anything that could make so much as a dent in a Servant.

'How the hell did he escape my notice for so long?' he muttered, recalling how Rider, who he'd immediately dismissed as a moron despite his identity, had revealed the masked Servant's presence, more accurately, had revealed he'd FOLLOWED Irisviel and Saber here.

'What the hell was that girl doing?' he muttered, his faith in the so-called 'King of Knights' abilities taking another sharp dive as he glared at the masked Servant, looking for any signs of ill-intent, only to freeze as something sharp was placed against his neck.

"Don't move." a woman ordered, her voice brooking no argument as she tilted the edge of her blade for emphasis "Rest assured, if I had wanted you dead, I could've killed you without revealing myself."

'Assassin?' Kiritsugu wondered, his mind racing a mile a minute as the woman claimed his headset for herself 'How can that be? There should only be six Servants left, and five of them are gathered below.'

"If you are expecting your compatriot to assist you, we have already restrained her." The woman continued, her voice betraying no emotion "Rest assured she will not be harmed, but if either of you shows any signs of resistance, we WILL kill the homunculus."

'Damn it…' Kiritsugu muttered, a dead weight forming in his stomach at the threat to his wife even as another set of hands appropriated his Sniper Rifle, the presence of the blade at his throat keeping him from looking at the woman's accomplice.

"No unnecessary movements." The woman warned, Kiritsugu unable to help noting how similar to Maiya she sounded, not her voice, but in the cold, professional tone she delivered her words "We may still have a use for you, so don't make me do anything I'll regret later."

* * *

_With the Servants... _

"Archer…" Lancer grit out, the Knight of the Spear's body seeming to lose some of the tenseness that came from resisting the Command Seals, the Knight of the Spear torn between shock and relief at the Masked Servant's interference.

On the one hand, he was surprised that Archer, who he had considered a coward for lurking in the shadows, no doubt intending to snipe the winner of his and Saber's duel, would give up such a tactical advantage. On the other hand, his involvement had spared Diarmuid's honor from being trampled on, the Knight of Fianna's opinion of the Masked Knight improving drastically in the scant seconds it took him to realise what had happened.

Berserker, lacking the wits to form an opinion beyond 'KILL Everything', merely roared his fury and continued to attack Saber head on, his improvised weapon lashing out to strike down the King of Knights, only to be repeatedly blocked by more of the same Hexagonal panels that had halted Gae Dearg.

So preoccupied was the black knight with his task, so great his desire to crush the King of Knights, that he failed to notice Rider's Chariot bearing down on him until the massive Oxen were literally breathing down his neck, and by that point there was little the Mad Servant could do, other than be trampled underfoot, Lancer leaping aside at the last moment, for while the Command Seal forced him to aide the Black Knight in destroying Saber, that didn't mean he had to protect the Black Knight from harm.

"Hoh, he's quite the tough one isn't he?" Rider noted, the King of Conquerors sounding impressed despite himself as he watched Berserker push himself off the ground, the Mad Servant looking none the worse for wear despite being trampled by the Gordius wheel.

"Mad Enhancement doesn't just rob Berserkers of their minds; it also dulls their sense of pain." Assassin pointed out, his tone calm and analytical despite the shock on the other's faces at Rider's interference "Or perhaps it's more accurate to say it 'transfers' the pain. So unless Berserker's Master is some kind of Masochist, he'll probably recall his Servant about now."

Sure enough, with a growl like a cornered beast directed at his fellow Servants, Berserker vanished into the ether, leaving behind a small crater where he'd collapsed and a hint of murderous intent.

"It would seem our black friend has retired for the evening." Rider noted, the King of Conqueror's amusement fading as he glared up at the wall of containers that concealed Lancer's Master from view "I don't know where you're watching from, Lancer's Master, but don't use your petty tricks to interfere in a battle between Knights."

"Are you really one to be pointing fingers after your entrance, King of Conquerors?" Assassin quipped, his tone jesting, Rider grinning unrepentantly at the Masked Servant even as he turned to regard the wall of containers "As Rider rightly claims, your Ally has fled, Lord El-Melloi." He called out, Lancer's features tensing further even as Rider's master yelped at the mention of the man's name "What now? Will you withdraw? Or are you prepared to face the consequences of tarnishing Lancer's pride?"

"You're certainly a mouthy one…" Lord El-Melloi noted condescendingly, Assassin's fists clenching at the sound of that familiar aristocratic sneer, so similar to those of the aristocracy back home "Honestly, just what is it with these Servants, mouthing off to their betters like this?"

"You think yourself superior to Epic Heroes, Lord El Melloi?" Assassin enquired, his tone mocking as he peered at his surroundings, all for show really, as he already knew where the Archibald heir was lurking thanks to his doppelgängers "You? Who lurks in the shadows and needs to resort to a command seal to get your way, while Saber and Rider's Masters bravely follow their Servants into battle?"

"It is hardly MY fault that the Einzberns didn't train their pet homunculus in the proper etiquette regarding how Masters do battle." Lord El Melloi sneered, his anger palpable "And as for Rider's so-called 'Master', I must admit I was wondering who'd be audacious enough to steal my catalyst…to think it'd be you, Waver Velvet."

Waver flinched, the terrified youth huddling next to his Servant as if fearing drawing further attention to himself, a moot point really given Rider's actions already.

"I had wondered what madness could have possessed you to steal my Relic." the Archibald heir continued, his tone mocking, though there was a definite undertone of malice if you listened closely enough "But I never would have expected you would be foolish enough to enter the Holy Grail War yourself." He scoffed "It would seem I'll have to give you a special lesson in the fear and pain involved in a battle to the death between Magi."

Waver whimpered, the poor boy looking absolutely terrified as he sank down to his knees, head clutched in his hands, wondering what on earth had possessed him to do such a suicidal thing, only to look up as Rider placed one massive hand on his back, the King of Conqueror's features soft, like a Lion looking over one of his cubs, an analogy that was made even more clear as he turned to glare at their surroundings.

"Hey! Lord El Melon or whatever you call yourself!" he barked, his voice shattering the silence around them "You claim that YOU were to be my Master? Don't make me laugh!" he nodded towards Assassin "As Archer says, only a man brave enough to ride into battle at my side could ever be my Master! A coward like you that lacks the courage to even show his face would NEVER have been worthy of summoning me!"

"Well put, King of Conquerors." Assassin applauded, smirking behind his mask despite Lancer's ire at the insults directed towards his lord "I'd stay close if I were you, Irisviel." He warned the homunculus, who blinked at the use of her name "While I applaud you and young Waver's courage in standing by your Servants in battle, Lord El Melloi has already shown he has no qualms using his Command Seals to force Lancer to go against his code of chivalry. With Berserker gone he could command him to attack YOU to get to Saber."

"I'll take my chances…" the Homunculus opined, her expression wary as she eyed the Masked Servant, no doubt recalling Rider's words from earlier even as she glanced worriedly at Saber, who was torn between her desire to leap to Irisviel's side and keeping a wary eye on Lancer, who even now seemed to be struggling to keep from lashing out at her.

"I suppose I can't fault you for being cautious." Assassin mused, Irisviel blinking at the approving note in his tone "Indeed I'd think less of you if you so readily accepted my help." He turned to look at the woman, marvelling at her pale skin and crimson eyes, which gave her the appearance of a snow fairy "As a token of my intent, allow me to put your fears to rest."

So saying, he raised a hand from beneath his cloak, the snapping his fingers followed almost instantaneously with the crack of a gunshot, the Servants, Waver shrieking in alarm and Irisviel's eyes widening as Kayneth's scream of pain tore through the night sky, Lancer calling out to his master in concern "R-retreat, Lancer!" the Archibald heir cried out, clearly in pain from the way his voice cracked "Forget Saber, get me out of here!"

"You heard the man, Diarmuid." Assassin called out, his tone cordial "It would seem you and Saber will have to finish your little Tête-à-Tête at a later date."

Lancer scowled, looking like he'd like nothing more than to run the Masked Servant through, but another gunshot and pained screech from his Master decided things for him, the Knight of Fianna sparing a brief glance in Saber's direction before leaping off in the direction of his Master, leaving the remaining Servants and Irisviel standing in silence.

* * *

And I'll just leave off there.

So as you can plainly see, Zero is not messing around.

For those of you who point out that Zero's 'Shield' shouldn't have been able to block Gae-Dearg, allow me to assure you that had the TIP of the spear made contact, it would've gotten through. However, Zero placed the shield in such a way that it blocked the SHAFT of the spear, not the tip. He merely timed the shield so that it was JUST close enough to make it APPEAR as if he blocked the tip of the Spear.

Only the TIP of the Crimson Rose of Exorcism can cut through Magic, which makes sense, as you can hardly 'cut' anything with the Shaft. As such, all Lelouch had to do to block the spear was prevent the tip from coming into contact with anything magic.

Why did Zero shoot Kayneth if he wants him alive? I never said they hit anything vital did I? Or maybe he did? Who Knows? Well I do, but for the rest of you, you'll have to wait till the next update. Untill then, here's a NP update!

Also, due to repeated comments and re-evaluation, I have re-evaluated some of Lelouch's Stats as well as re-classing his Geass as a Mystic Eye, similar to Medusa's. As such, it has been listed as a Persona Skill rather than a Noble Phantasm.

Class: Assassin

Master: Kotomine Kirei

True Name: Zero/Lelouch vi Britannia

Sex: Male

Height/Weight: 178cm/?kg

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Strength: C

Endurance: D

Agility: B

Mana: B

Luck: C

Noble Phantasm: ?

**Class Skills:**

**Presence Concealment:** (The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant.) C.

**Independent Action:** D: Capable of remaining in this world for less than a day without a established contract.

**Personal Skills:**

**Bravery:** (The ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination.) B.

**Charisma:** B: Suitable for a king of a country.

**Discernment of the Poor:** B: He will not be deceived by excuses and deceptions from words easily.

**Disengage: **(The ability to break away from combat.) D

**Expert of Many Specializations:** A: Possesses a variety of different skills, ranging from tactics, academia, espionage, assassination, swindling, rhetoric and others which can be used with proficiency of Rank B or above. (Applies to one of his NPs)

**Eye of the Mind (True):** B: Capable of calmly analysing battle conditions even when in danger and deduce an appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to escape from a predicament. So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

**Military Tactics: **A+: An unrivalled military genius, capable of turning the tide of almost any battle.

**Mystic Eyes:** EX: Possession of Mystic Eyes capable of interfering with the outside world. (Geass: The Power of the King that commands Absolute Authority).

**Pioneer of the Stars:** This unique Skill is given to heroes that became turning points in the human history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' turn into 'events that can be realized'. EX:

**Subversive Activities:** A+: It is possible to disable nearly 80% of the total military force before the enemy advances. Anyone with the rank of A+ or higher can only be considered an anti-hero.

**Noble Phantasms: **

1. (Support-Unit): For some reason, His stats cannot be witnessed.

2. ? (Support-Unit): Can create Doppelgangers, each with their own personality and skills. Due to their ability to operate independently, they cannot communicate over distance without assistance (Such as telephones, hand signs etc.).

3. ? (Support-?): Can create a 'Shield of Light' to intercept attacks.

Some of you can probably guess just WHAT the shield is. I'm not going to spoil anything for those who don't, however. I also remind you that 'Zero' is a COMPOSITE hero, which explains his base statistics. Again, it all applies to his Noble Phantasms.


	7. Chapter 6: Clash of Commands

Yo, been a while.

Just to warn you all, I've currently moved house and don't have internet, (currently using a friends) so updates and replies to messages may take a while.

In any case, a warning for ye thrillseekers, this chapter is pretty light on the action, if any at all, and focuses more on Lelouch being the Magnificent Bastard he is whilst masquerading as Archer.

As such, to avoid confusion, any conversation not told from Lelouch's perspective will refer to him as Archer, while conversations told from his perspective will refer to him as Assassin.

As an addendum to my previous note: Mordred-ko is awesome.

* * *

**Fate/Zero Requiem: An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War**

**Sixth Night: Clash of Commands.**

'Damn…!' Kiritsugu cursed, watching as Lancer made a bee-line for his Master, who had apparently not been as ill prepared for a sneak attack as he'd thought "It would seem your assassination attempt failed."

"You are mistaken, Emiya Kiritsugu." The woman countered, her tone filled with professional calm "The object of that shot was not to kill Lord El-Melloi, but to drive him from the battlefield, thus ensuring Lancer's survival."

'And by proxy, the curse of Gae Buidhe…' Kiritsugu realised, his eyes narrowing as he instantly made the connection 'They want to keep Saber from fighting at full strength…'

"It seems you've realised our intention." The woman noted, a hint of approval in her tone, though it did little to diminish the threat of the blade she held to his throat "Your reputation is well deserved, Magus Killer. However, I wouldn't go making any plans to finish the job anytime soon…at least until the Einzbern Master complies with our demands."

Kiritsugu swore, his teeth clenching behind his lips as he glanced back at the gathered Servants below, more accurately, at the Masked Servant that was standing right next to his wife, wanting nothing more than to put a bullet between his eyes. It wouldn't do much, since he wasn't armed for Servant, but at the very least it'd give Irisviel the opening she needed to get to Saber.

'At the very least they still believe she's Saber's true master.' He muttered, keeping his emotions under control even as he glanced towards his gloved left hand 'That will give me the opening I need…'

* * *

**_With the Servants... _**

"My thanks to you, King of Conquerors." Saber offered, the King of Knights inclining her head in gratitude towards the her fellow King, who grinned jovially in response even as she turned her gaze towards her fellow Knight "And to you, Archer, for shielding my Master in my stead."

"It was a pleasure, King of Knights." Archer assured her, his hand coming out from beneath his cloak once more to cover his heart in a stage bow "After all, what kind of Knight would I be if I allowed any harm to come to a lady?"

"Not a very good one, certainly." Rider opined, his expression approving as he regarded the Masked Servant with an appraising eye, as if he were a horse the King wished to purchase "Nice of you to join us at last, Archer. I have to admit, it was rather shrewd of you to target Lancer's Master like that."

"I simply made use of an available resource." Archer opined, his tone dismissive, almost humble, were it not for the undertone of amusement in his words "And how could I, how could ANY hero really, refuse such a bold invitation from the King of Conquerors himself?"

"That's true!" Rider agreed, letting loose a loud, barking laugh that seemed as much a roar as anything else. Saber, however, did not share in her fellow King's amusement, her eyes narrowing as she regarded the Masked Servant.

There was something inherently deceptive about the Knight of the Bow, something that made her instinctively wary. It wasn't just his manner or way of speech either; his very appearance was hardly what one would expect of a Knight-Class, consisting of a strange purple suit with gold trim beneath a black and red mantle. The only part of his ensemble which could remotely be defined as 'Knightly' was the helmet that adorned his head, a black, ominous mask that reflected her own suspicious glare right back at her.

'Is he REALLY an Archer?' she found herself wondering 'His build and apparel would make him more suited for the Caster Class…and then there was that shield of light.'

Saber had never seen anything like that shield, save perhaps the defensive spells of a Magus. But if that were the case, how could it have blocked Gae Dearg, with its ability to nullify any structure composed by magic?

'It must be his Noble Phantasm.' she deduced, eyeing the Masked Servant warily 'A shield that repels all attacks that can be deployed at will…yet isn't composed of magic?'

"So! What say you, Archer?" Rider demanded, Saber snapping out of her thoughts to see the King of Conquerors beaming at the Masked Servant eagerly "Saber and Lancer have turned me down, and Berserker doesn't seem the type to listen to reason to begin with. "What are your thoughts on joining with me?"

"Again with your jokes, King of Conquerors?" Saber sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, and just when she'd begun to regain her respect for her fellow King "I highly doubt Archer's answer will be any different from my own."

"Join forces with the greatest conqueror to ever walk the Earth?" the Masked Servant pondered, tilting his head to the side, one gloved hand coming up to cup his chin in thought "I must admit, the idea has merrit."

"Doesn't it?" Rider agreed, grinning at the Servant in approval even as Saber and Irisviel gaped at the Knight in shock. It was only understandable really; while an alliance between Masters wasn't unheard off, more often than not they were made BEFORE the war had even begun. Not only that, but Servants could only be summoned because they possessed an inherent desire that could only be granted by the Grail, be it a second chance at life or to right a wrong, no Servant would willingly cast aside their wish, even if their Masters teamed up.

From what little the two women could see, Rider's Master clearly had no say in the matter, indeed, the poor boy seemed to be no more than a tagalong, completely caught out of his depth in this exchange between heroes. That just left Archer's Master, and from what they could tell from Kiritsugu's report, Tohsaka Tokiomi wasn't likely to make alliances with anyone unless HE dictated the terms.

"So what do you say, Archer?" Rider continued, holding out a hand to Archer "From what I can tell that shield of light that protected Saber must be your Noble Phantasm, right? It must be pretty powerful if it can block Lancer's Gae Dearg."

"I won't deny that the shield was my doing." The Masked Servant conceded, nodding his head towards the King of Conquerors "However, it is not my place to make decisions such as these. I must first confer with my Master." He turned to glance at Saber "Though given our recent circumstances, I doubt he'd be adverse to an alliance."

"Ah yes, your base of operations was blown up, wasn't it?" Rider muttered bluntly, stroking his beard in thought even as Saber's eyes widened, Irisviel blinking in surprise "At least you managed to get rid of Assassin in the process."

"Yes, and with any luck his treacherous Master will follow soon enough." The Masked Servant agreed, Irisviel and Waver shivering at his tone "However, that is not our primary concern. No, our true concern regards an unexpected factor in the war." He turned to Irisviel, who blinked at the sudden change in his attention "I trust acquiring the services of the 'Magus Killer' didn't dip too deeply into the Einzbern coffers, Lady Irisviel."

"The M-M-M-Magus Killer?!" Waver stammered, his eyes widening in horror even as Irisviel blanched at the mention of her husband's title, Saber blinking in confusion "Y-you don't mean that crazed mass-murdering heretic?!"

"Kiritsugu isn't like that!" Irisviel countered, rounding on the boy sharply, only to clap a hand over her mouth as the group's attention returned to her once more, Saber in particular looking at her in confusion.

"So you DID hire him." Archer sighed, his tone torn between exasperation and quite possibly disappointment "I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised, given the Einzbern's losing streak. Still, to think you'd sink so low as to involve someone like that."

"What are you talking about, Archer?" Saber demanded, her emerald eyes narrowing as she stepped between Irisviel and the Masked Knight "Do you think to insult my Master?"

"Not at all, Saber." Archer countered, holding up a hand placatingly "After all, there is certainly no law forbidding a Master from using resources other than their Servant to win the war." He pointed out, continuing to regard Irisviel solemnly "Though given the secret nature of this war, I have to wonder if bringing a man for whom the term 'Civilian Casualties' is simply a 'means to an end' is the wisest decision, Lady Irisviel."

"Kiritsugu isn't like that…" Irisviel countered, though even Saber noted that the homunculus didn't sound all that convinced herself, one pale hands gripping her collar in concern.

"The amount of corpses he's left in his wake would suggest otherwise." Archer countered, his tone seeming to soften somewhat at the flinch his words earned from the Homunculus "I see, he probably never filled you in on the less glamorous details of his craft. Unsurprising, assassins tend not to trust easily."

"That is ENOUGH!" Saber snapped, her emerald eyes hard as she raised her sword, sheathed by the wind barrier, but still all- too-capable of cleaving a servant's head from his shoulders "I don't know what your game is, Archer, but I will not have you insult my Master any further!"

"I was insulting Emiya Kiritsugu, not your Master." Archer countered, turning to regard Saber, who couldn't help but flinch at the sight of her own reflection in that ominous mask "Unless…ah, so THAT's how it is." He mused, and Saber couldn't help but shiver at the amusement in the Knight's tone "I must admit, even I never would've considered the Einzberns would bequeath their right as Master to an outsider. Desperate times I suppose."

"So the little lady isn't Saber's Master?" Rider noted, the King of Conquerors regarding the pair with a critical stare, his expression unreadable, for the first time giving the impression of the tactical mind behind that bearded face "I see, the old Divide and Conquer gambit. Not too bad as strategies go, though I'm shocked the King of Knights would consent to such a thing."

"I suppose both she and the Magus Killer found it preferable this way." Archer opined with a shrug "From what little my Master has gathered on the man's tactics, he would have been better suited summoning Assassin or Caster."

"I wouldn't exchange Saber for ANYONE." Irisviel countered, though she couldn't help but flinch guiltily, as Kiritsugu HAD admitted that he would've preferred to have summoned the other two classes. It was only Jubstacheit's insistence that they wait until the choices were limited to attempt to summon Saber, otherwise she was certain he would've aimed for Assassin.

"Be that as it may…" Archer opined, his tone civil as always, thought Saber and Irisviel swore they detected a sudden, almost imperceptible change in his demeanor "The fact remains that you, Irisviel von Einzbern, are NOT Saber's master." he raised a hand in the air, Saber moving to follow it warily with her eyes "A moot point, really, for from now on, the two of you will obey ME."

Saber cursed, her eyes snapping back to the masked Servant's face just as Irisviel gasped, the King of Knights blinking at the sight of the narrow slot that had appeared in the formerly smooth surface of the black mask even as a winged Glyph filled her vision, her mind going blank for a second, before she knelt before the Masked Knight, Irisviel curtsying behind her.

"As you command…" they spoke in tandem, Saber's voice reverent while Irisviel seemed almost dazed, the King of Knights lowering her head in submission "What would you have me do, My Lord?"

* * *

**_With Kiritsugu... _**

"Iri!" Kiritsugu exclaimed, the Magus Killer looking on in alarm as Saber and his wife kneeled before Archer, his reinforced hearing having allowed him to hear what was being said 'Dammit, he's got Mystic Eyes!'

An anomaly that generally came into existence through a mutation of magic circuits in the area surrounding the eyes, Mystic Eyes typically granted their users the power to interfere with the outer world to such an extent that Magi were quite willing to artificially induce such mutations in order to further their research, similar to forging a Thaumaturgical Crest. They were considered the proof of a first-class magus, due to their ability to act as Single-Action spells whilst being easily concealed.

'Judging by the effect, he most likely has 'Mystic Eyes of Command or Enchantment' he mused, his analytical mind working a mile a minute despite the hammering of his heart at the sight of his wife kneeling before him, only the woman's knife at his throat keeping him from leaping to his feet.

"No sudden movements." she reminded him, her tone brooking no argument as she tilted the dagger beneath his throat to the point it drew a trickle of blood "We still have a use for Saber's Master, you, on the other hand, are expendable."

'I didn't think I'd have to use one of these so soon…' he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he clenched his fist, the command seals hidden beneath the sleeve of his coat 'By the authority of my first command seal…'

* * *

**_With Assassin... _**

"Mystic Eyes…" Rider muttered, the King of Conquerors eyeing the scene before him with an unreadable expression "You certainly are a man of many talents…Archer."

"Do I detect disapproval, King of Conquerors?" Assassin queried, the slot in his helmet closing as he stood before the downed King of Knights and curtsying Irisviel "Surely you would not fault me for using them any more than Saber could fault Lancer for his Mystic Face?"

"Indeed, it would be hypocritical of me to deem them unfair." Rider muttered, though he made a point of looking anywhere BUT the Masked Servant's face, one massive hand keeping his own Master's head down "Still, I can't say I like the idea of you forcing a King to kneel."

"To be fair, I didn't order her to." Assassin admitted, his embarassment obvious as he glanced at the kneeling Saber "That's actually the first time someone's done that without me ordering it-!"

He trailed off, eyes widening beneath his helmet as Saber lunged forwards, the Servant's features blank, her eyes devoid of emotion as she lashed out with her sword, only his quick deployment of his shield keeping his head where it belonged on his shoulders. "What are you doing Saber?!" he demanded, completely caught off guard by this turn of events "Cease your attack at once!" he commanded, only to grimace as the strength of the deceptively small woman's blows only increased, forcing him back a step despite his confidence in his shields 'Damn! Emiya must have used a Command Seal!'

A control system devised by the now defunct Makiri line, the Command Seals symbolised the absolute authority of a Master over a Servant, capable of issuing three Absolute Orders capable of either restraining or reinforcing the actions of a Servant.

When he'd first learned of them, Assassin had been intrigued by their similarity to his Mystic Eyes, differing only in that they could be issued more than once, and that, depending on the situation, could be used to enable a Servant to carry out an action beyond their capabilities.

Naturally, the effectiveness of the Command Seals depended on a number of factors, namely the strength and will of the Master and the willingness of the Servant to carry out said order. Lancer, being a proud Knight, had resisted his Master's commands to assist Berserker, as it trampled on his code of honour, and had clearly been forced to endure tremendous agony for his trouble.

Her own personality aside, the inherent Magic Resistance of the Saber Class, should have been more than enough for the King of Knights to resist anything that went against her ethics. The only reason his Geass had managed to bypass her resistance was because, despite being labeled as a 'Mystic Eye', they were not, in fact, powered by Magic.

The only explanation Assassin could deduce was that Emiya Kiritsugu had seized the moment when Saber's own will had been suppressed to use one of his absolute orders to completely suppress the King of Knight's personality and turn her into a mindless Killing Machine, bent on his destruction.

'I never anticipated that the Command Seals would be able to overwrite my Geass Commands…' he muttered, grimacing as he was forced to back away from the assault "Looks like I won't be keeping Saber after all.'

"Hoh?" Rider mused, the King of Conquerors stroking his beard with a hint of approval as he watched the King of Swords wail away at his shields "It would seem this Lioness won't be tamed so easily."

"I'm glad you find this so amusing-!" Assassin grit out, backing up against one of the crates, grimacing as he felt his shields reverberate under the force of Saber's blows "Sayoko!" he called out, shouting to be heard over the noise of Excalibur clashing against his shields, and even then he could barely hear it "Take Emiya out! Kill hi-!"

_"STOP!"_ Kirei's voice cut in, Assassin's eyes widening at the man's command even as he felt his throat constrict, as if the hand of God itself was choking him _"Do not kill Emiya Kiritsugu!"_

'Damn it all!' Assassin swore, having forgotten about Kirei listening in, cursing as Saber took a stance he'd seen her take mere moments before, when she was about to rush Lancer "Emiya Kiritsugu!" he called out sharply "Order Saber to stop or I'll order Irisviel to kill herself!"

For a moment there was no response, in all honesty Assassin didn't expect one, given what he'd gathered on the man's personality as listed in Tokiomi's report. Emiya Kiritsugu was a man who walked the path of blood, a man willing to kill innocent people if it meant taking down his target.

Originally, he'd been operating under the assumption that the man had merely been hired to protect the true Einzbern Master, due to their Magecraft being unsuited to battle. However, Irisviel's revelation had tossed such plans out the window, as Saber's TRUE Master, Kiritsugu truly had no need to protect the Homunculus.

Therefore it came as a surprise, though not an unwelcome one, when Saber blinked, the light of reason returning to her emerald eyes as she dropped out of her stance, the wind surrounding her blade calming as she flinched from the pain in her thumb "What…was I…?"

"Welcome back, Saber." Assassin quipped, putting on an air of detached amusement even as he struggled to catch his breath and calm the beating of his heart "It would seem your TRUE Master is the jealous type."

"Kiritsugu…?" Saber wondered, blinking as she eyed the destruction around her with dawning comprehension "He used a command seal on me?" she wondered, anger entering her tone as her eyes flashed dangerously.

"To be fair, I didn't leave him much choice." Assassin admitted, smirking to himself as the King of Knights blinked at him in confusion "Still, the night grows short, I think it best we go our separate ways, wouldn't you agree, King of Conquerors?"

"Indeed." Rider mused, his eyes retaining their calculating expression despite the broad smile that adorned his features as he turned to face the King of Knights "Saber, settle things with Lancer first." he commanded "I shall gladly face the victor afterwards." He smiled knowingly at Assassin, carefuly to avoid looking directly at his mask "And Archer, my offer from before still stands." he declared, chuckling at Assassin's jolt of surprise "Don't act so surprised, after that little display you and Saber just put on, I'd be a fool not to want you and your shield on my side."

"Praises from Caesar…or close enough I suppose." Assassin mused, his opinion of the other Servant improving all the more, bowing to the larger man as he laughed uproariously at the compliment "I will see you soon, King of Conquerors." He promised, before turning around and, quite to Saber's surprise, taking her armoured hand and pressing it to his mask in a semblance of a kiss "And you, Oh Fiery King of Knights."

Saber sputtered, a hint of red adorning her cheeks as Assassin reverted to Astral form, leaving her and a blushing Irisviel to face the amusement of Iskander as he rode off into the night sky.

* * *

**_Caster and Ryunosuke's lovely suite..._**

"That was so Freaking COOL!" Ryunosuke cheered, a look of childish joy adorning his features as he danced around the darkened chamber where he and Caster, or Bluebeard as the servant preferred to be called, had set up shop, heedless of the smell of decaying matter and blood and the feeble cries for help that lurked just outside the light of his Servant's scrying crystal "Hey, Master Bluebeard, That was all real right? It wasn't just some special effect flick, right?"

Caster did not answer, the Servant's bulbous eyes locked onto the crystal, heedless of his Master's joy as. Normally, the Servant who had been Baron Gilles de Rais would've been amused, even pleased, to see his Master in such high spirits, and indeed, would've found tonight's viewing especially fortuitous, as he had not only managed to see some of the capabilities of the other servants, but had managed to ascertain the True Names of THREE them.

True, the prospect of having to face off against the King of Conquerors was daunting, and Diarmuid's Gae Dearg was his natural enemy, being designed to cut through anything composed by magic. But such things didn't matter to Caster, indeed, NOTHING in this world mattered any more, for there was no longer any need for him to battle the other Servants.

Why should he? After all, had the Grail not already granted his wish?

Ignoring Ryunosuke as he cavorted excitedly from the shadows, Caster continued to gaze obsessively into his crystal ball, his large, bulbous eyes taking in every feature of the petite armoured warrior maiden that had been summoned into the Saber Class, the moonlight shining on the sterling silver armor that adorned her dress, her beautiful blonde hair framing a face set with two emerald eyes.

But it was not Saber that drew Caster's attention, or perhaps it would be better to say it was not SOLELY the Knight of the Sword's majestic presence that held it. No, what held his attention was a single scene, a scene in which the warrior maiden was made to kneel before the masked form of Archer.

"How dare he…!" he hissed, teeth clenched so tightly that, were he not a Servant, they would've surely cracked, his fingers bent into hideous claws as he glared at the scene in anger "How DARE he force La Pucelle to kneel before him!"

"La Pucelle?" Ryunosuke wondered, quirking a brow at the foreign term, turning his gaze towards the crystal which depicted Saber's kneeling form "Do you know her, Master Bluebeard?"

"How could I not!" Caster simpered, his rage giving away to almost crazed worship "That august expression, that divine figure, verily, she is my very guiding light." He placed his face in his palms as tears streamed from his eyes "Despite her faith she was abandoned by God and perished in shame," he spread his arms wide in joy "But now, she has been reborn! What could a miracle of this scale be other than the fulfilment of my wishes!"

"Uh, not too sure what you mean, but good for you, Master!" Ryunosuke offered, happy to see his benefactor so happy after everything they'd done together "But if it's such a great occasion, why're you so pissed?"

"BECAUSE!" Caster snarled, his rage returning ten-fold as he pointed at the sphere, where Archer's masked form stood on display "This masked knave DARES to make her kneel before him! As if she were some common wench to be tread underfoot, rather than the Holy Maiden chosen by God himself!"

"Wow…what a dick…" Ryunosuke muttered, not completely understanding, only to quirk a brow as Saber lunged for Archer with a sword "Ah, looks like she was faking it."

"Yes!" Caster cheered, clasping the crystal with both hands as he pressed his forehead against its icy surface, his frenzied eyes watching as Saber drove Archer off, only for his eyes to bulge out of their sockets as Archer, having escaped her wrath, DARED to kiss Saber's hand "Such IMPUDENCE!" he swore, spittle decorating the crystal, obscuring Saber's look of embarrassment "How dare he take such liberties!" he swore, turning on his heel and marching into the darkness "Worry not, Holy Maiden! Your ever loyal Gilles de Rais shall be with you soon!"

* * *

**_Kariya's not so lovely street..._**

Kariya swore as he struggled to lift the manhole cover, a task that was by no means easy on its own, but when coupled with the state of his body was akin to the legendary twelve tasks of Herakles by comparison, the haggard Matou struggling with it for what felt like an hour before he finally managed to slide the lid aside, savouring the taste of fresh air as it rushed into the fetid sewers below, before using what little strength he had left to push the cover aside and crawl out of the exposed hole like a worm, lying on the street in exhaustion.

Normally, this would've been a one-way ticket to the morgue, as even on a slow day the middle of the road was no place to take a nap, but this late at night the streets of Fuyuki were barren, which suited Kariya just fine, as he had no desire for anyone to see him in this condition. Given his luck of late, they'd probably try to loot him before they thought to call for an ambulance.

'Not that they'd get much…' he muttered wryly, his chuckles turning swiftly to coarse hacking as his battered, half-dead body voiced it's complaints in spades, the light from a nearby streetlamp illuminating a puddle, allowing him to get a good look at his face. 'This is what I get for choosing to abandon the path of a magus.' he muttered, grimacing as he felt Zouken's Crest Worms twitch beneath his flesh, the veins on his ruined face bulging in response 'If I'd known this would happen, I never would've let Aoi marry Tokiomi…'

Up until a year ago, the day Kariya turned his back on his family had been the highlight of his life. True, he'd been forced to stand back and watch his childhood friend marry Tohsaka Tokiomi, but it had almost been worth it just to know she was safe from his family, who were doomed to extinction as far as being Magi were concerned with his departure.

In hindsight, he REALLY shouldn't have underestimated the wiliness of Matou Zouken, the old monster, knowing that Tokiomi, as a 'Traditional' magus, would only select one daughter to inherit the Tohsaka Magecraft, had stepped forward, offering honeyed words about making 'the spare' the heir to the Matou line, thus ensuring that both of Tokiomi's daughters would continue as Magi.

For a man like Tokiomi, such an offer must have appeared as a godsend, and so one year prior to the start of the 4th Grail War, Tohsaka Sakura became Matou Sakura, Zouken beginning her 'training' almost immediately.

Enraged at Tokiomi's treatment of his daughter and the grief that it caused Aoi, and fearing for Sakura's safety, Kariya had approached Zouken with a deal: In exchange for winning the upcoming Grail War, Sakura would be allowed to return to her family. Zouken had accepted, perhaps intrigued by his son's apparent lack of concern for his own life, especially given the treatments Kariya would need to endure in order to become strong enough to support a Servant.

Even now, he could feel the Crest Worms eating away at his body, could feel them devouring his flesh and bones, converting them into prana, significantly expanding his near-atrophied Magic Circuits. By the time he'd been strong enough to even ATTEMPT summoning, his hair had become white and the entire left side of his body had become paralyzed along with other complications he wasn't qualified to even attempt to guess.

And that was just the result of having the worms implanted in his body. When coupled with the sheer agony that came with being the Master of Berserker, it was a miracle Kariya was even still conscious.

While Berserker was certainly one of the more powerful Servants, evidenced by how easily it had pressured Saber during their brief exchange, trying to direct the Black Knight was akin to trying to restrain a rabid bear with a piece of string. Even with the Command Seals, there was no guarantee that Berserker wouldn't simply turn on him if he crossed it, and Kariya wasn't about to waste what few resources he had, so in the end all he could do was let the Mad Servant do as it pleased while he tried to take out the other masters from the shadows.

'I'd have been better off summoning Assassin at this rate…' he muttered, chuckling to himself even as he caught the scent of Lancer, having used his insect familiars to track the Knight of the Spear, his Master having been injured by whatever it was Archer had done back at the docks. 'Tokiomi sure summoned a weird Servant…' he muttered, grimacing at the memory of the Masked Knight, having watched the fight through the eyes of his familiars, not wanting to put himself at risk directly. 'That shield of his is bound to be trouble…but it looked like Saber was able to press him…if I can take Lancer out, Saber might be able to take down Archer for me.'

There was also his Servant's apparent obsession with Saber to consider. While Berserker didn't listen to his commands much to begin with, save 'Attack' or 'Kill', the moment the Black Knight had laid eyes on Saber what little control Kariya possessed had been thrown right out the window. It had gotten so bad that he hadn't even been able to pull his Servant back to avoid Rider's Noble Phantasm, and as a result Kariya's body had paid the price.

'It doesn't matter…' he muttered, clenching his teeth as he staggered to his feet, wanting to get out of sight lest a patrolling Servant or familiar happened across him 'I only need to put up with it until Tokiomi and the other Masters are beaten…until Sakura is free to return to her family…'

Kariya had no delusions of living past that moment. Even if he did win, his body probably wouldn't last a year in its current condition.

But none of that mattered to him, all that mattered was Sakura's safety, and the promise he'd made to her.

And so, leaning against a wall, his wrecked body incapable of standing under its own power, Matou Kariya hobbled into the darkness, looking for a safe place to rest for the night, the invisible shade of a Mad Beast following in his wake.

* * *

Notes:

Things are heating up for our heroes.

Just to recap: For those of you who argue over whether Zero's 'Shield' shouldn't have been able to block Gae-Dearg or not, Zero himself wasn't entirely certain it could, so he blocked the shaft, not the tip. As only the TIP of the Crimson Rose of Exorcism can cut through Magic, all he had to do to block the spear was prevent the tip from coming into contact with anything magic.

This does not mean the shield CAN'T block Gae Dearg head on, Zero simply wasn't willing to take the risk that it couldn't with Kiritsugu and Maiya moving to take Kayneth out of the picture.

Likewise, I hope my explanation as to why Lelouch's Geass affected Saber despite her Magic Resistance makes sense to any nay-sayers out there. Putting aside their rank (EX trumps A hands down, deal with it), despite being categorised as a 'Mystic Eye' by the Grail, The Power of the King that Commands Absolute Authority is not powered by Magic and as such could easily bypass Saber's Resistance, since it isn't designed to block anything else.

Think of it like a Virus bypassing a firewall that wasn't designed to block such an attack.

However, that isn't to say she couldn't have resisted. Euphie was able to resist for a few seconds before succumbing to the Geass, Lelouch simply caught Saber off guard, using sleight of hand and his attack on Kiritsugu's character to make her drop her guard.

Hope that clears some things up.

Class: Assassin

Master: Kotomine Kirei

True Name: Zero/Lelouch vi Britannia

Sex: Male

Height/Weight: 178cm/?kg

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Strength: C

Endurance: D

Agility: B

Mana: B

Luck: C

Noble Phantasm: ?

**Class Skills:**

**Presence Concealment:** (The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant.) C.

**Independent Action:** D: Capable of remaining in this world for less than a day without a established contract.

**Personal Skills:**

**Bravery:** (The ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination.) B.

**Charisma:** B: Suitable for a king of a country.

**Discernment of the Poor:** B: He will not be deceived by excuses and deceptions from words easily.

**Disengage: **(The ability to break away from combat.) D

**Expert of Many Specializations:** A: Possesses a variety of different skills, ranging from tactics, academia, espionage, assassination, swindling, rhetoric and others which can be used with proficiency of Rank B or above. (Applies to one of his NPs)

**Eye of the Mind (True):** B: Capable of calmly analysing battle conditions even when in danger and deduce an appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to escape from a predicament. So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

**Military Tactics: **A+: An unrivalled military genius, capable of turning the tide of almost any battle.

**Mystic Eyes:** EX: Possession of Mystic Eyes capable of interfering with the outside world. (Geass: The Power of the King that commands Absolute Authority).

**Pioneer of the Stars:** This unique Skill is given to heroes that became turning points in the human history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered 'impossible' turn into 'events that can be realized'. EX:

**Subversive Activities:** A+: It is possible to disable nearly 80% of the total military force before the enemy advances. Anyone with the rank of A+ or higher can only be considered an anti-hero.

**Noble Phantasms: **

1. ? (Support-Unit): Prevent's Assassin's Stats as a Servant from being witnessed by others.

2. ? (Support-Unit): Can create Doppelgangers, each with their own personality and skills. Due to their ability to operate independently, they cannot communicate over distance without assistance (Such as telephones, hand signs etc).

3. ? (Support-?): Can create a 'Shield of Light' to intercept attacks.

Nothing really knew at this point. Keep watching for more!

Also, while i won't be online as much till my internet is put back up, I'll be using the time without distraction to catch up on some of my other works, as well as rewriting a few that have fallen due to events in their respective series essentially screwing up my plotlines.

Works being attended to: Lelouch of the Second Chance, Code Tekka, Naruto's Bizarre Adventure to name but a few.

Works currently under review: Oberon and Hokage no Issan. No spoilers but expect these two to be revised once I finally get back online.

Some of my Dead in the Water fics may likewise be revived. but no promises.

Until my connection is restored, have a Happy Easter!

SLAINTE!


	8. Chapter 7: The Once and Future King

How's it going all?

Latest chapter for Zero Requiem, and things are heating up as you can guess.

Quick Recap for those whose memory got fuzzy during the wait.

1. Kirei summons the 'Epic Hero Zero' as assassin.

2. Assassin completely screws over Tokiomi's plan by blowing him and Gilgamesh (Archer) up.

3. Assassin masquerades as Archer and fakes a 'rescue' of Tokiomi, thus faking his own death.

4. During the meeting of the Servants at the docks, Assassin manages to place Saber and Irisviel under his control.

5. Kiritsugu uses a Command Seal to force Saber to Kill 'Archer'. Assassin Forces him to use another to stop her.

Got all that? Then let's roll!

* * *

**Fate/Zero Requiem: An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War**

**Seventh Night: The Once and Future King.**

Kirei sighed and sat up in his chair, having ceased his shared perception with Assassin the moment he was certain his Servant had left the docks, the younger Kotomine blinking in the dim light of the Church Basement as he went over what he'd managed to learn from tonight's exchange.

With Tokiomi out of the picture, that just left the Einzbern and Matou to contend with from amongst the founders, and three outsiders. Zouken had reported to Risei that the Matou had summoned Berserker, though naturally he hadn't divulged the identity of either Servant or Master, and Assassin had just confirmed Emiya Kiritsugu was Saber's Master, thus nullifying the man's Stratagem with the Einzbern Homunculus, while at the same time discovering the true identities of the remaining Servants and their masters, with the exception of Caster.

'Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and Alexander the Great…' he muttered, shaking his head at the sheer cost it must have taken for the Archibald heir to acquire the catalysts needed for such high-level epic heroes, unable to help smirking as he imagined the man's ire when his own rebellious student had stolen his intended Catalyst and Servant 'Formidable opponents to be sure, though perhaps not as much as the King of Knights.'

He had to admit, the revelation of Saber's identity was just as much a shock to him as it had been for Assassin. Indeed, his shock was probably greater, for King Arthur's role in the quest for the TRUE Holy Grail had been well documented by both the Church and Magus society on top of mere mundane historians. To find out Britain's greatest King was, in fact, a woman, would stymie anyone.

'Then again, it WOULD give credence to why Guinevere chose to have an affair with Lancelot.' He mused, putting such thoughts aside as he refocused on the task at hand. Lord El-Melloi had been wounded to ensure Lancer's curse remained intact. Naturally, this meant the Magus Killer would take out the Archibald heir before focusing on the other Masters.

'Considering his disregard for rules, it's highly likely he's already spying on the church as we speak.' He muttered, his older instincts as an Executor overwriting his Magus 'knowledge' of the rules of the tournament. The other Masters would never think of violating the Neutral Zone that the Church represented. Even Tokiomi would have avoided operating anywhere near it, if only to keep up appearances. Therefore it was only to be expected that a maverick like Emiya Kiritsugu would do the exact opposite 'Perhaps I shouldn't have stopped Assassin that time…'

It had been an impulsive, foolish act, one his instincts as an Executor were even now berating him for in several different languages. They were ignored, however, in the face of his overwhelming desire to meet the man, face-to-face, preferably with something sharp in hand.

Emiya Kiritsugu was a Magus that eschewed the rules of Magus Society in favour of technology, the same technology Kirei had been forced to forsake when he transferred from the Holy church to masquerade as Tokiomi's not-so-secret apprentice. In many ways the Magus Killer was a lot like Kirei: An unknown variable. One who knew the rules by which this God-Forsaken Tournament was to be played and didn't give a flying fuck how many he broke so long as he got what he wanted out of it.

'The only difference between us is that Emiya Kiritsugu clearly KNOWS what he's looking for.' He muttered, looking up from his musings to find his own features reflected back at him on the black mask of Assassin "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." The Masked Servant admitted calmly, his tone betraying no emotion, though Kirei swore he could detect a hint of displeasure beneath the man's usually stoic demeanour "Lord El-Melloi has retreated to his base of operations at the Fuyuki Hyatt. Knowing Emiya Kiritsugu, he will prioritize him over the other Masters in order to restore Saber to her full potential."

"You disapprove of my ordering you not to kill him." Kirei noted. It wasn't a question; he had FELT his Servant's annoyance through their link when he'd used that rushed command seal, a sentiment his instincts as an executor shared.

"While I admit it was tactically unsound of you to do so, it doesn't truly interfere with my stratagems." Assassin admitted, waving a hand dismissively "In fact, it proved rather beneficial in the long run. Not only did I learn that the command seals can temporarily override the effects of my Mystic Eyes, we forced Emiya to use two in a single exchange. With only one Command Seal left, he'll be forced to prioritise Lancer's demise. And while I may not be able to KILL him, that doesn't prevent me from neutralising him in other ways."

"True enough." Kirei agreed, honestly impressed with how adaptable his Servant was, though given the glimpses he'd been given into the Masked Servant's life, he really shouldn't have been surprised "So everything proceeds as planned?"

"For the moment." Assassin admitted, his expression unreadable as ever, though Kirei could tell he had more to say "Though I think it may behove you to avoid doing anything that may draw attention to yourself. One of my scouts noticed a familiar hanging around the church grounds when I returned." He nodded at Kirei's sharp look "Judging by the micro-camera taped to its body, I can only assume the one behind it was Emiya Kiritsugu or that female assistant of his."

"Do you think he suspects your true identity?" Kirei wondered, referring to his Servant's 'Class' rather than his name, as even HE wasn't privy to THAT little titbit of information, the Executor turned Magus torn between anticipation and unease at the confirmation of his suspicions.

"Unlikely, though I've left nothing to chance." Assassin assured him "I've left orders for the grounds to be watched at all times." he revealed, one of his doppelgangers stepping out of the shadows for emphasis "Likewise, any and all visitors to the church are tailed from the moment they enter the grounds. If anyone made a suspicious move, they'd have been dealt with immediately."

"I see." Kirei noted, sighing in relief as some of the weight that had been building on his shoulders lessening even as the doppelgangers stepped back into the shadows and vanished "I take it you also disposed of the familiar?"

"I deemed it prudent to leave it alone for the moment." Assassin admitted, earning a quirked brow from his Master "Emiya is likely to be on edge after our last exchange. By leaving the familiar present, we can alleviate some of his suspicions, thus making it all the easier to take him by surprise when the time comes."

* * *

_After Assassin's Revelation..._

"I suppose that's the best we can hope for." Kirei conceded, though internally he was chomping at the bit at the thought of locking horns with the Magus Killer.

So the man deemed him enough of a threat to warrant monitoring? Even in violation of the Sanctuary Laws? If it had been anyone else, Kirei would have informed his father of the offence and the elder Kotomine would've exercised his right as overseer to penalize the offending party by stripping them of one of their command seals.

For Emiya Kiritsugu, such a punishment would mean the end of his participation in the Grail Wars, as you needed at least one seal to maintain a contract with a Servant. Without the contract, the Servant would cease to exist unless they forged another contract with a Master whose Servant had been eliminated, and given Saber's wounds and her lacking the Independent Action skill, the odds of her finding a Master in time would be slim to none.

In short, as a result of tonight's exchange, Kirei and Assassin were in a position to eliminate both Saber and her Master in one fell swoop without having to lift a finger.

Not that Kirei intended to alert his father just yet. He still had questions that needed answered, and the only way he'd get those answers was by confronting the Magus Killer. Part of him wondered if it would be wise to waste a second Command Seal to order Assassin's silence on the matter, but in the end he decided against it, partly because there was a good chance the Servant didn't KNOW, as the overseer's rules weren't beholden to Servants, being a recent addition from the Third Grail War, and partly because his plans seemed to involve the Magus Killer picking off the competition, and so it was unlikely that he'd do anything to jeopardise his participation in the War.

The sound of footsteps drew Kirei from his thoughts, Master and Servant looking up just in time to see Risei enter the room, a cell phone pressed to his ear. "That's right, the Mion district." the elder Kotomine instructed, no doubt conferring with his contacts in the Fuyuki Police department "Yes, the streets and storage next to the sea have sustained massive damage. Mobilize the clean up crew, use Plan D. I'll be depending on you for on-site identifications."

"Problems?" Kirei spoke up, not really caring one way or the other, as it wasn't like HE had to worry about whether this War was discovered or not, consigned to the basement as he was.

"Nothing we can't handle." Risei assured his son, the elder Kotomine sighing as he finished his call and tucked the phone away "By the way, the boy Assassin rescued woke up earlier."

"Did he now?" the Servant wondered, and Kirei couldn't fault the curiosity in the Servant's tone, as even HE had to admit to being intrigued as to how a naked child had come to be found in the ruins of Tokiomi's mansion.

While Kirei didn't particularly care for the late Tohsaka head as a person, he liked to think that during their brief time as Master and Apprentice that he'd developed a VERY accurate understanding of Tokiomi's character, and while as a Magus of his calibre had few scruples, from what Kirei had seen child abduction and/or molestation were most certainly not crimes the late Tohsaka head could ever have been accused of.

'Hubris and Avarice definitely, but certainly not Lust.' He muttered, chuckling slight as he shook his head at the memory of his proud, ambitious teacher even as he regarded his father "So how is he?"

"Whole and hearty, despite what he went through." Risei admitted, and Kirei was surprised to see an actual smile on his father's face "He's up in the kitchen if you'd both care to join us for dinner."

"Very well." Assassin acknowledged, his form blurring for a moment, his 'Space-Opera' clothing replacing itself with the priest robes he'd borrowed from Kirei, his handsome features etched in a smile as he turned to face the younger Kotomine "Shall we go, Master?"

Kirei scoffed, rising from his seat with a grunt, a little TOO eager to get out of the dank cellar, the growling in his stomach reminding him that he hadn't had a thing to eat since breakfast. 'I'll need to bring food and drink with me the next time.' He noted, the three of them climbing out of the basement, Assassin bringing up the rear as they made their way to the inner area where Risei made his home, far from prying eyes.

* * *

_Kotomine Kitchen, abandon all hope all ye who enter here with weak taste-buds..._

"I'm back." The elder Kotomine called out, smiling benignly as he stepped into the modest kitchen, Kirei blinking in surprise at the sight of the blonde child from before sitting in a chair, wearing one of his undershirts and a pair of boxers as he shovelled soup into him with ravenous speed.

"Ah! Hello Father Risei!" the boy greeted in flawless Japanese, though his features made it all too clear to Kirei that he was clearly foreign. For one thing, no-one in Japan had crimson eyes save certain Youkai half-breeds and Dead Apostles "Who are they?"

"This is my son, Kirei." Risei introduced, the Priest beaming between the pair in that way only proud fathers can, only to hesitate slightly as he turned to address Assassin "And this is…"

"Alan Spacer." The Servant cut in, smiling kindly at the boy even as Kirei quirked a brow at him, highly doubting the validity of that moniker "I see you're enjoying the soup?"

"It's really tasty!" the boy replied, grinning infectiously at the trio as they took their seats, Risei taking the seat to the boy's left, with Kirei and Assassin following suit, so that the Servant was across from the boy while Kirei faced his father.

"Be that as it may," the elder Kotomine chuckled, casting a look of mock disapproval towards the boy that was entirely ruined by the doting smile that adorned his features "I believe I asked you to wait until we were all at the table?"

"I'm sorry, Father Risei." The boy mumbled, looking so heartbroken that even Kirei couldn't help but blink at how adorable he looked "I just couldn't help it, it just smelled SO good, and I was really hungry and-!"

"I understand." Risei assured the boy, eyes filled with good humour as he ruffled his golden hair, earning a giggle from the tot "But from now on you have to wait for everyone to sit at the table and say grace first. After all, it wouldn't do for the Lord to have to punish one so young, would it?"

Kirei rolled his eyes at that, knowing all too well that if there WAS a God up there, he'd hardly care about a hungry child when there was a heretical priest who'd fallen under the thrall of Magic and an unsent Spirit to draw his ire. "The Lord?" the boy asked, snapping Kirei's attention back to the table, the younger priest blinking at the boy in surprise "Is he someone important?"

"I dare say he is, my boy." Risei chuckled, instantly falling into his 'fatherly elder priest' role as he ruffled the boy's hair "He created all life in this world, made us in his own image, sent his son to lead us, and those who are strong in faith will be forever welcome in his kingdom."

"Do you mean a God, sir?" the boy asked, looking up at Risei, who nodded piously, Kirei rolling his eyes as he poured himself a glass of water "Like my mother Ninsun?"

Kirei spat, Risei crying out as the water drenched him, Assassin's eyes widening as he gaped at the child that was even now blinking at his Master in surprise.

During the build-up to Tokiomi's summoning, both Risei and Kirei had familiarized themselves with the legends surrounding the late Tohsaka head's intended Servant, which covered not only his accomplishments in life, but also his parentage.

Ninsun, otherwise known as 'Rimat Ninsun' and 'The Great Queen', was a Sumerian Goddess who later became the wife and spouse of the second king of Ancient Babylon, Lugalbanda. While detailed information into her backstory were sparse, unsurprising given the Magus Association's eschewing of modern conveniences, there was one part of her story that had deemed her worthy of being included in Tokiomi's research, and that was the fact she had born Lugalbanda as son, the self-same Demi-God that would go on to become the First, arguably the GREATEST King of humanity.

"Gilgamesh…?" Risei stammered, the elder Kotomine's throat making strange noises as he gaped at the boy before him in disbelief "Boy…Sire…are you truly Gilgamesh, King of Uruk?"

"Yep!" the boy confirmed, beaming at the man happily, as if he HADN'T just dropped the mother of all bombshells into his lap "I know it's kind of long though, so you can call me Gil-Kun if you like!"

"How is this possible?" Kirei wondered, the Executor turned Magus gaping at the Boy-King of Heroes, a look of profound disbelief, not unlike that of a landed fish, adorning his normally reserved features "How can…why are you…?"

"What Kirei is trying to ask is how is it you came to be as you are, Sire?" Assassin spoke up, Kirei marvelling at his Servant's ability to maintain his cool in such an unexpected situation. Given the fact that Servants could sense one another's presence, the fact that a KNIGHT class had slipped past him should must have shaken Assassin even more than the Kotomines, ESPECIALLY given his role in the King's apparently exaggerated demise "Did something happen at the Tohsaka mansion to leave you in this state?"

Gilgamesh, or Gil-kun as Kirei found himself referring to the boy, shivered, his crimson eyes shadowing slightly, as if remembering something uncomfortable "I don't know…I remember waiting with Old Man Tokiomi" Kirei had to stifle a snort at that "for Assassin to show up." He shivered "Then things started blowing up all around me…Tokiomi started shouting…everything went white…it hurt so bad…"

"It's okay Sire…Gil-kun…" Risei assured the boy-king, only hesitating for an instant before patting him on the shoulder to calm him down, his paternal concern overriding his caution, unable to stand back while a child was in need, even if said child WAS the reduced form of a Heroic Spirit "Pray, tell us how did you manage to survive?"

"I used one of my treasures." the boy admitted, Kirei and Risei's eyes widening as he held up a hand, a crystal bottle appearing out of a golden portal "It tasted really nasty…I fell asleep after drinking it, and when I woke up, Father Risei was looking over me."

"Fascinating." Assassin mused, Kirei turning to see his Servant regarding the glass vial with a curious look in his eyes "I take it that was the infamous Elixir of Youth you and Enkidu searched for?"

"You know Enkidu-kun, Alan-niisan?" Gil-Kun exclaimed, the Boy-King's features brightening at the mention of the only being his adult self had ever acknowledged as both a friend and equal, Assassin smiling at the boy knowingly, only to pause, his eyes narrowing as he stared off into the distance.

"What is it?" Kirei wondered, eyeing his Servant warily, his instincts as an Executor rising to the fore as he readied himself to deploy the Black Keys he kept on his person.

"It's nothing; please excuse me for a moment." Assassin assured the pair, sending a pointed look towards Gilgamesh, Risei distracting the once-and-future King of Heroes even as the dark-haired teen excused himself, walking out into the corridor, his eyes narrowing as one of his Doppelgangers appeared before him "Did you find where the Einzbern base is located?"

"Not hardly…" the doppelganger muttered, his tone crass as he stood with his hands in his pockets, his posture slouched over, giving him the air of a punk, or a petulant teen "The others are still tracking 'em as we speak, I just came to report back."

"Did something happen to them en route?" Assassin mused, his expression calm even as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the personality THIS doppelganger had adopted.

"You could say that…" the doppelganger muttered, slumping against the wall with a grunt, his tone crass, though at the same time alert "Caster decided to come say hello."

* * *

_Fuyuki Hyatt Penthouse Suite..._

"Damn it all!" Kayneth swore, the heir to the Archibald family spitting like a cat as his beloved fiancée finished removing the remains of the bullet from his shoulder, her deceptively soft fingers digging almost viciously into his flesh as she set about repairing the damage.

"Oh calm down." Sola chided, her tone calm, though there was a hint of mocking derision that swept right over the incensed Archibald's head even as she dug her finger into the wound a little more savagely than was truly needed, earning a grunt of pain from her fiancé "You're acting like a child, the bullet didn't even hit anything vital."

"What kind of Magus uses a gun?" Kayneth grit out, his features lined with derision at the very idea, only to flinch as Sola pulled her hands away, having sealed the wound, turning his irate glare on the kneeling form of his own Servant "And you! What the devil were you playing at?" he demanded, missing the frown that adorned his fiancée's features "TWICE you had the opportunity to finish Saber off, only to let the opportunity slip through your fingers!" he raised his hand for the Servant to see "Worse, you had me waste a Command Seal!"

"Now Kayneth…" Sola interrupted, placing a hand on her fiancée's wounded shoulder, the Archibald heir grimacing as he felt her fingers grip him a little TOO tightly "Lancer has already sworn his loyalty to you as a Knight, surely you aren't about to question that?"

"It is not a matter of his loyalty, Sola." Kayneth muttered, grimacing slightly even as her grip on his wounded shoulder lessened "The point is that while he was dallying around with Saber, he not only forced me to expend a valuable resource, but allowed me to suffer this ignoble wound."

"As I recall, the only reason you were wounded was because you allowed yourself to be goaded into giving away your location." Sola pointed out, her expression coy as she reminded her Fiancé of how she'd been watching the fight through her familiar's eyes "You could have EASILY taken out Saber's Master while Lancer fought, skulking in the shadows as you were, but you chose to lecture that boy and allowed Archer to bait you into giving away your position."

Kayneth grimaced, eyeing his beloved with an expression of hurt dignity. Like all respectable Magi, Kayneth's parents had arranged a marriage for him with the daughter of the prestigious head of the Summoning Department of the Clock Tower, and while he loved Sola-Ui Sophia-Re with all his heart, the redhead's affections towards HIM were decidedly cool even BEFORE the Heaven's Feel.

Deciding to enter the Tournament as a means of proving himself, Kayneth had devised a revolutionary means of summoning a Servant, wherein all the responsibilities as a Master were afforded to HIM, while the task of providing Prana to maintain Lancer's form came from another, namely Sola herself.

Needless to say, Sola hadn't exactly been thrilled to learn that Kayneth was prepared to put her own life in danger just to prove himself worthy of her hand, but her father had approved and so she'd been forced to go along with the ritual once Kayneth FINALLY managed to get his hands on another relic following the theft of Iskandar's cloak fragment.

'That brat…' Kayneth muttered, recalling the cowering face of Waver Velvet as the boy peered over the rim of Iskander's Chariot 'He thinks he can get away with stealing from his betters? By the time I'm through with him there won't be enough left to keep in a THIMBLE.'

"That is enough, Lady Sola." Lancer spoke up, Kayneth and Sola looking up to see the frown adorning the Servant's features as he continued to kneel before them "Your words are an insult to my Lord. Even if you are his wife, as a Knight, I cannot forgive such a thing."

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that…" Sola stammered, Kayneth's eyes narrowing at his beloved's change of tone, the Archibald heir scowling at the beauty mark adorning his Servant's right cheek, knowing all too well the legend behind it "My apologies, Kayneth, I went too far…"

Kayneth opened his mouth to respond, only to blink as a clamour filled the air, Sola and Lancer tensing in alarm even as the Lord El-Melloi rose from his chair to answer the phone. "Yes, what is it?" he demanded, his irritation giving away to intrigue, a cold, calculating smile adorning his features as he hung up "A fire on the lower floors." He informed the others "The hotel staff are already evacuating everyone."

"An attack?" Sola exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief even as Lancer rose to his feet, his eyes like a hawk and his form like a cat's, ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice "On tonight of all nights?"

"Saber's Master will want to dispel the curse of Gae Buidhe as soon as possible." Kayneth opined, his expression one of absolute confidence as he crossed to his wardrobe, pulling out a spare coat to replace the one that had been damaged earlier that evening "Lancer, head down and receive her. Do NOT simply drive her off like you did last time."

"As you command, My Lord." Diarmuid acknowledged, the Knight of Fianna bowing to his lord, Twin Spears materialising in his hands as he prepared to engage his opponent "I shall cut off their escape and drive them towards you."

"See that you do." Kayneth muttered, smirking to himself as Lancer reverted to astral form, leaving him and Sola alone for a few precious moments "Let them have them enjoy the experience of my Magical Atelier."

* * *

_As Kayneth prepares..._

Sola said nothing, the redhead's features inscrutable as she listened to Kayneth preen.

For all she disliked the man, for all she disapproved of her arranged marriage to her father's disciple, she couldn't deny that, above all else, Kayneth Archibald El Melloi was a prodigal genius when it came to Magecraft.

He certainly wasn't HUMBLE about it. Nary a minute could pass without the man finding SOMETHING to stoke his ego, whether it be some new skill he had mastered or trashing a student's thesis before the boy's peers.

'Maverick theory or not, the boy had a point.' She mused, recalling how Kayneth had left the paper on his desk in dismissal, the redhead glancing over the carefully penned thesis out of curiosity, and had honestly been impressed with Waver's deductions. True, there was little chance of it ever being taken SERIOUSLY in the Magus Association, especially with close-minded individuals like Kayneth in charge, but from a purely theoretical point of view Sola had to admit the boy had certainly thought things out 'Honestly, part of me wants to congratulate him for pulling one over Kayneth.'

However, as much as she admired Waver Velvet's daring, though some may call it suicidal stupidity, Sola knew all too well that now that the boy had been confirmed as a Master, Kayneth would devote every waking moment to making him suffer for his treason with the same level of attention to detail that the man had put into preparing his defences, the man having turned the entire Hotel into their stronghold from the moment they arrived.

Not structurally mind you, that would've drawn too much attention, though Lord only knew renting out the entire top floor probably drew enough of that. No, the basis of Kayneth's defences lay in the Bounded Field that encompassed said floor, consisting of twenty-four layers, powered by three independent mana-generators that also served to facilitate Kayneth's own power, essentially turning the entire 32nd floor into a Fortress of Magecraft, the corridors littered with countless traps and patrolled by numerous evil spirits and apparitions from the darkest of nightmares.

There were no defects. Every little flaw had been reviewed and removed during the design process, every possible weak-point fortified, every possibility accounted for.

'It doesn't make having to listen to him laugh any more bearable though…' she muttered, eyeing the Lord El-Melloi in distaste as he cackled like a stereotypical villain, sighing in exasperation as her thoughts turned to Lancer, as they often did these days, offering a silent prayer for the Knight's safety, only to blink as an explosion rocked the building.

* * *

Notes:

Yeah, things are NOT going as scripted for Kiritsugu and co.

To my knowledge, there's no reason that the Servants would know of the 'Rules' pertaining to the Overseer, as the Church didn't get involved until the 3rd war, and we all know how THAT ended up.

As such, Lelouch has no idea that Risei can knock Kiritsugu, and any other Masters, out of the game simply by penalising them, nor does any other Servant.

I have yet to find confirmation as to whether this is true or not, but until someone proves me wrong, this is my headcanon.

And now for something a little different: Master Statistics.

Emiya Kiritsugu - Status: Alive. Seals: 1. Servant Identity: Known. Base of Operations: Secure.

Kayneth Archibald - Status: Wounded. Seals: 2. Servant Identity: Known. Base of Operations: Kiritsugu'd.

Tohsaka Tokiomi - Status: Dead. Seals: 3 (Transferred to Risei). Servant Identity: Unknown. Base of Operations: FUBAR.

Waver Velvet - Status: Hysterical. Seals: 3. Servant Identity: Known. Base of Operations: Unknown.

Uryuu Ryunosuke - Status: Insane. Seals: 3. Servant Identity: Unknown. Base of Operations: Secure.

Kotomine Kirei - Status: Stunned. Seals: 2. Servant Identity: Unknown. Base of Operations: Known.

Matou Kariya - Status: Half-Dead. Seals: 3. Servant Identity: Unknown. Base of Operations: N/A.

With Tokiomi dead, the Strongest Masters statistic wise are as follows:

1. Kariya: While both retain all their seals and have concealed their Servant's identities/HQ. Kariya is an actual magus, and so gets a slight edge.

2. Ryuunosuke: As said above, retains all seals, Servant's identity and HQ are unknown for now, but isn't a magus.

3. Waver: Servant name is know, but retains all seals and HQ is hidden.

4. Kirei: Has used a seal and HQ is known, but Servant identity is unknown.

5. Kayneth: Has used a seal, Servant identity and HQ are known.

6. Kiritsugu: Has used two seals, Servant is injured and identity known. HQ known to founding families and Church.

In short, nothing at all like the canon scenario. Kiritsugu has been backed into a corner, and that makes him all the more dangerous.

Nothing new was revealed about Assassin's NP's, so I'll end this here.

SLAINTE!


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